Former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has ruled out any intention of returning to Aso Rock Villa in 2027, declaring her full support for First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and President Bola Tinubu ahead of the next general elections.
Speaking on Saturday night at the Women Icon Leader of the Year award ceremony hosted by Accolade Dynamics Limited in Abuja, Dame Jonathan paid glowing tribute to the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of the President, while reiterating her loyalty to the Tinubu administration.
Addressing the audience, the former First Lady said, “All the way, we are with you. No shaking. We will follow.
Direct us, and we will follow. Because there is only one president at a time. We don’t have two presidents. I am outspoken — if I don’t like something, I will say it. But if I like something, I die for it.”
She continued: “I believe in one president. I believe in turn-by-turn. When it’s your turn, I will support you. When it’s not your turn, step back, so that the country can move forward.”
Dame Jonathan reflected on her longstanding relationship with Senator Oluremi Tinubu, noting that their political alliance predates the Tinubu presidency.
“We worked together as far back as when I was a deputy governor’s wife. We worked when I became a governor’s wife, and even when my husband was vice president. Oluremi stood by her husband and supported us during our first election. For me, I have a conscience. I cannot abandon my friend, whether you like it or not,” she said.
Reaffirming her retirement from frontline politics, Jonathan added, “I’m not denying her. I’m not running. I’m not going back to the villa. If you call me, I will not go.”
She praised Tinubu-Ojo for championing women’s causes and urged her to continue empowering women across the country.
“Iyaloja, thank you for standing with women, because these are your women. Carry them along; they are with you,” Jonathan said.
The remarks by the former First Lady come amid growing political speculations ahead of the 2027 elections, with her comments seen as a strategic endorsement of the Tinubu administration from a prominent PDP-era figure.
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