In 2015, Goodluck Jonathan became the first Nigerian president to concede election defeat. It allowed the transfer of power to the opposition party in Africa's biggest democracy - a country that had hitherto experienced vote-rigging and violence.[6]
Goodluck Jonathan was born on 20 November 1957 inOgbia to aChristianIjaw family ofcanoe makers,[1][7] in Otuoke, Bayelsa State.[2] His father, Lawrence Ebele Jonathan, was a canoe maker and his mother, Eunice Ayi Ebele Jonathan, was a retired farmer.[8] He attended a Christian primary and secondary school.[2]
Before entering into politics in 1998, Jonathan worked as an education inspector, a lecturer and an environmental-protection officer.[10] His political career began when he became involved with the nascent People's Democratic Party (PDP) in the late 1990s.[2]Jonathan entered into politics when GeneralSani Abacha, who ruled asmilitary head of state of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998, died in office.
On 29 May 1999, Jonathan was sworn in as deputy governor ofBayelsa alongsideDiepreye Alamieyeseigha who came in as the governor of the state on the platform of PDP. Jonathan served as Deputy Governor until December 2005.[11] On 9 December 2005, Jonathan, who was the deputy governor at the time, was sworn in as the governor of Bayelsa State upon the removal of governorDiepreye Alamieyeseigha by the Bayelsa State House of Assembly after being charged with money laundering in theUnited Kingdom.[citation needed]
As Vice President, Jonathan took a very low profile. While recognising the constitutional limits of the Vice President's office, he participated in cabinet meetings and, by statute, was a member of the National Security Council, the National Defence Council, theFederal Executive Council and chairman of the National Economic Council.
Jonathan was named Acting President of Nigeria on 9 February 2010, following a controversialdoctrine of necessity from theSenate of Nigeria due to President Yar'Adua's trip toSaudi Arabia in November 2009 for medical treatment.[12] On 10 February 2010, his first day as acting president, Jonathan announced a minor cabinet reshuffle.[13]
A year later, on 29 May 2011, he wassworn in as the President of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, becoming Nigeria's 14th Head of State.[18] He gave his inauguration address where he declared his government was to focus on a Transformation Agenda and promised to continue implementing the seven-point agenda policy framework of President Yar'Adua.[19] He cited anti-corruption, power and electoral reforms as focuses of his administration. He stated that he came to office under "very sad and unusual circumstances".[20]
Under Jonathan's administration, Nigeria rebased its gross domestic product for the first time in over a decade, becoming the largest economy in Africa by overtaking South Africa andEgypt.[1]
The Jonathan administration accrued over US$454 billion while in office from oil revenue.[21] Jonathan previously served as an assistant director at the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development commission between 1993 and 1998.[2]
The Jonathan administration oversaw the construction of new railways in the country, including the Abuja-Kaduna railway, and conceptualized high-speed rail projects. It also managed the construction and beautification of several federal roads, including the Lagos-Benin Expressway, Abuja-Lokoja Expressway, Enugu-Abakiliki Expressway, Onitsha-Owerri Highway, and most parts of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.[3] His administration also oversaw the construction of the second Niger Bridge between Onitsha and Asaba, which helped relieve the pressure on the old 1965 Niger Bridge, as well as the construction of airports across the country. The Akanu Ibiam Airport in Enugu was upgraded to an international airport, directly connecting the South-East region to the outside world for the first time since independence.[citation needed]
On 2 August 2010, Jonathan launched his 'Roadmap for Power Sector Reform'.[22] Its primary goal was to achieve stable electricity supply in Nigeria. ThePower Holding Company of Nigeria, which acted as the nation's electricity provider, was broken up into 15 firms, with Nigeria handing over control of state electricity assets to 15 private bidding companies.[23] The Nigerian government contracted for the services ofCPCS Transcom Limited, a Canada-based consulting firm specialising in transportation and energy infrastructure projects, to act as the transaction adviser for the handover of state electricity assets.[24]
Historically, the Nigerian power sector has been plagued byblackouts, mainly due to poor maintenance, theft, and a lack of government oversight rooted in corruption. Economists estimate that power outages have cost Nigeria, Africa's biggest economy, billions of dollars in imported diesel for generators and lost output. In a study conducted by theWorld Bank, a lack of access to financing and electricity were cited as Nigeria's main obstacles to development, surpassing corruption.[25]
Jonathan suspendedSanusi Lamido Sanusi as governor of theCentral Bank of Nigeria[26][27] after a series of public investigations and raising the alarm on theUS$20 billion NNPC scandal in a leaked letter which revealed that theNigeria National Petroleum Corporation failed to account for US$48.9 billion of government oil revenue to the central bank[28][29] – the NNPC has a history of financial irregularities and oversees the corruptpetroleum industry in Nigeria. Sanusi would go on to reveal the extent of financial recklessness that Nigeria lost a billion dollars a month to diversion of public funds under the Jonathan administration, with oil ministerDiezani Alison-Madueke diverting $6 billion (₦1.2 trillion) from the Nigerian treasury.
In addition, Jonathan was alleged to have personally ordered over ₦3 trillion ($15 billion) from theCentral Bank of Nigeria to support his election and other self-serving projects under the guise of an intervention fund for national security.Charles Soludo, a professor of economics and former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, equated Jonathan's financial recklessness to that of former Ugandan presidentIdi Amin.[30]Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, an economist and formerFinance Minister of Nigeria, pegged Jonathan's administration as the main cause of Nigeria's economic woes in a lecture atGeorge Washington University,[31] although she later denied it.[32]
Jonathan's government has largely been described as corrupt. According toThe Economist, corruption flourishedunder the Jonathan administration, "who let politicians and their cronies fill their pockets with impunity."[33] Large sums of money have been used improperly multiple times, with₦3.98 trillion (US$20 billion) allegedly going missing[34] and ₦398 billion ($2 billion) of military funds allegedly dispersed amongst high-ranking officials.[35] In 2006, reports released by Wikileaks claimed that Jonathan's wife,Patience Jonathan, was indicted for money-laundering by Nigeria's anti-crime agency, theEconomic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).[36]
During Jonathan's administration, Nigeria's foreign policy was reviewed to reflect a "citizen-focused" approach, designed to "accord this vision of defending the dignity of humanity the highest priority" and connect foreign policy to domestic policy, while placing a greater emphasis on economic diplomacy.[38]
In January 2013, Jonathan reportedly promised $4 million to assist in cleaning up villages that have been affected by alead poisoning incident.[39][40] Over 400 children died andHuman Rights Watch said that releasing the funds "could be lifesaving for countless children."[41]
On 1 January 2012, the Jonathan administration announced the start of a controversial plan to end fuel subsidies.[42] Following theNigeria Labour Congress' warning that the country faces many strikes, the country unions followed up with strikes that were matched withcivil protests from 9–13 January 2012.[43][44] Protesters and groups called for Jonathan to resign over the removal of fuel subsidies.[45][46] After five days of national protests and strikes, on 16 January, Jonathan announced that the pump price of petroleum would be 97naira per litre compared to a post-subsidy level of 147 naira.[47]
In 2012, upon the partial removal of petrol subsidies, the Jonathan administration instituted a subsidy re-investment programme designed to spend the money saved from partial petrol price deregulation on physical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, etc., across the country. TheSubsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Program (SURE-P) was also intended to improve maternal health and reduce maternal mortality.
The government followed the advice of international experts who claimed the fuel subsidy (which cost $8 billion per year, or 25% of the annual government budget)[48] was unsustainable. TheBrookings Institution, a think tank, praised the government's move, arguing that the subsidy crowded out other development spending, such as education, and discouraged investment in the country's economic lifeblood: the oil sector.[49] In his bookMy Transition Hours, Goodluck Jonathan stated that the subsidy was consuming too much of the nations revenues and that the public believed the sector was highly corrupt. He mentioned that the Minister of FinanceNgozi Okonjo-Iweala, briefed him on the corrupt practices uncovered by a technical committee she has assembled. Jonathan expressed alarm that billions of naira were being lost by the nation due to the subsidy regime.[50]
Many prominent Nigerians spoke out against the removal of the subsidy. Former Petroleum Minister Professor Tam David-West expressed concern that the planned removal of the fuel subsidy will squeeze the economy, increase inflation, and hurt both businesses and the public.[51] A former military Head of State who was also a former Minister for Petroleum & Natural Resources, GeneralMuhammadu Buhari, urged Jonathan not to remove the fuel subsidy and to tackle corruption.[52]Yakubu Gowon, another former military Head of State, warned the government that the country's infrastructure should be revived before fuel subsidy removal steps were taken.[53] Former military president Gen.Ibrahim Babangida, joined millions of Nigerians protesting against the removal of the fuel subsidy by the Jonathan administration, saying that the action is ill-timed.[54]
In March 2014, President Jonathan inaugurated the 2014 National Conference. The conference was the first of its kind since the 2005 political reform conference,[55] it had 492 delegates that debated on key socio-political national issues impeding national development.[56]
On 20 July 2014,Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian-American, flew fromMonrovia toMurtala Muhammed International Airport inLagos, with a stopover atLomé, Togo.[57][58][59] He was subsequently described as having appeared to be "terribly ill" when he left Monrovia. Sawyer became violently ill upon arriving at the airport and died five days later. In response, the Nigerian government observed all of Sawyer's contacts for signs of infection and increased surveillance at all entry points to the country.[60]
On 6 August 2014, the Nigerian health minister told reporters: "Yesterday, the first known Nigerian to die of Ebola was recorded.[61][62] This was one of the nurses that attended to the Liberian. The other five newly confirmed cases are being treated at an isolation ward." The doctor who treated Sawyer,Ameyo Adadevoh, subsequently also died of Ebola. On 22 September 2014, the Nigeria ministry of health announced: "As of today, there is no case of Ebola in Nigeria. All listed contacts who were under surveillance have been followed up for 21 days.[63][64] "According to theWHO, 20 cases and 8 deaths had been confirmed, along with the imported case, who also died. Four of the dead were health care workers who had cared for Sawyer. In all, 529 contacts had been followed and of that date they had all completed a 21-day mandatory period of surveillance.[65][66]
In January 2014, Jonathan signed into law the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act after it was passed by theSenate andHouse of Representatives.[citation needed] The law prohibits gay relationships, membership and other involvement in gay societies and organisations and gay marriages. The bill came after international polls showed that 98% of Nigerians did not think homosexuality should be accepted by society, the highest percentage of any country surveyed.[67] Penalties can be up to 14 years in prison for gay marriages and up to 10 years for other violations of the law.[68] Within a short period, the federal police department compiled a list of 168 gay people who would subsequently be jailed. Within days 38 lesbian and gay people had been jailed, with arrests beginning during Christmas. The anti-LGBT bill stipulates that those who withhold the details of LGBT individuals face prison terms of up to five years.[69] His decision and the law itself have been described as controversial,[70] but according to a poll, 92% of Nigerians supported the ban.[67]
Jonathan's administration was heavily criticized for its failure to tackle insecurity. The first major challenge was theOctober 2010 Independence Day bombing. Okah told the court that President Jonathan and his aides organised the attacks in Abuja in a desperate political strategy to demonise political opponents, including former military head of state GeneralIbrahim Babangida, and to win popular sympathy ahead of the elections.[71]
Following theJanuary 2012 Northern Nigeria attacks, which left over hundreds of casualties,Abubakar Shekau, a former deputy ofMohammed Yusuf, appeared in a video posted on YouTube.[citation needed] According toReuters, Shekau took control of the group after the death of Yusuf in 2009.[74][75][76] Authorities had previously believed that Shekau died during the violence in 2009.[citation needed] By early 2012, the group was responsible for over 900 deaths. On 8 March 2012, a smallSpecial Boat Service team and the Nigerian Armyattempted to rescue two hostages, Chris McManus and Franco Lamolinara, being held in Nigeria by members of the Boko Haram terrorist organisation loyal toal-Qaeda.[citation needed] The two hostages were killed before or during the rescue attempt. All the hostage takers were reportedly killed.[77][78]
On 18 March, abus station was bombed in Kano, with several casualties.[citation needed] In May 2013, Nigerian government forces launched an offensive in the Borno region in an attempt to dislodge Boko Haram fighters after a state of emergency was called on 14 May 2013.[citation needed] The state of emergency, applied to the states ofBorno,Yobe, andAdamawa in northeastern Nigeria.[79] The offensive had initial success, but the Boko Haram rebels were able to regain their strength. Although initially offering amnesty, by June 2013 he ordered a 20-year jail term for anyone found to be in support of Boko Haram.[80] In July 2013, Boko Harammassacred 42 students in Yobe, bringing the school year to an early end in the state.[citation needed] On 5 August 2013, Boko Haram launched dual attacks on Bama and Malam Fatori, leaving 35 dead.[81]
On 16 January 2014, it was reported that Jonathan had sacked his military high command in response to their inability to end the Islamist-led insurgency in Northern Nigeria.[82] On 14 April, over 200 schoolgirls inChibok werekidnapped.[citation needed] A few weeks later in May, a terroristoffensive was launched against the military in Chibok. Many demonstrations called for the government to be more responsive; Jonathan asked that demonstrators focus on blaming Boko Haram itself for the abductions.[83] Jonathan initially denied that there had been any abduction at all, but then later signaled his government would do a prisoner release in exchange for the kidnapped girls. Discussions then took place in Paris with foreign ministers from France, Britain, the United States and Israel, where he agreed no deals should be struck with terrorists. He then called off the exchange at the last minute on 24 May 2014.[citation needed] This reportedly enraged Boko Haram leaders.[84]
In May 2014,two bombs exploded in Jos, resulting in the deaths of at least 118 people and the injury or over 56 others.[citation needed] During theJune 2014 Northern Nigeria attacks, a plaza in the capital city was bombed and hundreds of villagers attacked in a two-day killing spree inKaduna.[citation needed] In November, Boko Harambombed the city of Kano, attempting to assassinate the EmirMuhammadu Sanusi II.[citation needed] Starting in late 2014, Boko Haram militants attacked several Nigerian towns in the North and captured them.[citation needed] This prompted the Nigerian government to launch an offensive, and with the help of Chad, Niger, and Cameroon, they have recaptured many areas that were formerly under the control of Boko Haram. In late 2014, Boko Haram seized control ofBama, according to the town's residents.[citation needed] In December 2014, it was reported that "people too elderly to flee Gwoza Local Government Area were being rounded up and taken to two schools where the militants opened fire on them.[citation needed]" Over 50 elderly people in Bama were killed. A "gory" video was released of insurgents shooting over a hundred civilians in a school dormitory in the town of Bama.[85]
Between 3 and 7 January 2015, Boko Haram attacked the town ofBaga andkilled up to 2,000 people, perhaps the largestmassacre by Boko Haram.[citation needed] On 10 January 2015, a bomb attack took place at the Monday Market inMaiduguri, killing 19 people.[citation needed] The city is considered to be at the heart of the Boko Haram insurgency. In the early hours of 25 January 2015, Boko Haram launched a major assault on the city.[citation needed] On 26 January 2015CNN reported that the attack on Maiduguri by "hundreds of gunmen" had been repelled, but the nearby town ofMonguno was captured by Boko Haram.[citation needed] The Nigerian Army claimed to have successfully repelled another attack on Maiduguri on 31 January 2015.[citation needed] Starting in late January 2015, a coalition of military forces from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger began acounter-insurgency campaign against Boko Haram.[citation needed] On 4 February 2015, theChad Army killed over 200 Boko Haram militants.[citation needed] Soon afterwards, Boko Haram launched an attack on the Cameroonian town ofFotokol, killing 81 civilians, 13 Chadian soldiers and 6 Cameroonian soldiers.[citation needed]
On 17 February 2015 the Nigerian military retook Monguno in a coordinated air and ground assault.[citation needed] On 7 March 2015, Boko Haram's leaderAbubakar Shekau pledged allegiance to theIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) via an audio message posted on the organisation's Twitter account.[citation needed] Nigerian army spokesperson Sami Usman Kukasheka said the pledge was a sign of weakness and that Shekau was like a "drowning man". That same day,five suicide bomb blasts left 54 dead and 143 wounded. On 12 March 2015, ISIL's spokesmanAbu Mohammad al-Adnani released an audiotape in which he welcomed the pledge of allegiance, and described it as an expansion of the group's caliphate to West Africa.[citation needed] Following its declaration of loyalty to ISIL, Boko Haram was designated as the group's "West Africa Province" (Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP) while Shekau was appointed as its firstvali (governor). Furthermore, ISIL started to support Boko Haram, but also began to interfere in its internal matters. For example, ISIL's central leadership attempted to reduce Boko Haram's brutality toward civilians and internal critics, as Shekau's ideology was "too extreme even for the Islamic State".[citation needed]
On 24 March 2015, residents ofDamasak, Nigeria said that Boko Haram had taken more than 400 women and children from the town as they fled from coalition forces.[citation needed] On 27 March 2015, the Nigerian army capturedGwoza, which was believed to be the location of Boko Haram headquarters.[citation needed] On election day, 28 March 2015, Boko Haram extremists killed 41 people, including a legislator, to discourage hundreds from voting.[citation needed]Niger Army soldiers duringcounter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram in March 2015. In March 2015, Boko Haram lost control of the Northern Nigerian towns ofBama andGwoza (believed to be their headquarters) to theNigerian Army.[citation needed] The Nigerian authorities said that they had taken back 11 of the 14 districts previously controlled by Boko Haram.[citation needed] In April 2016, four Boko Haram camps in theSambisa Forest were overrun by the Nigerian military who freed nearly 300 females.[citation needed] Boko Haram forces were believed to have retreated to theMandara Mountains, along theCameroon–Nigeria border. On 16 March 2015, the Nigerian army said that it had recaptured Bama.[citation needed] On 27 March 2015, the day before theNigerian presidential election, theNigerian Army announced that it had recaptured the town of Gwoza from Boko Haram.[citation needed]
By April 2015, the Nigerian military was reported to have retaken most of the areas previously controlled by Boko Haram in Northeastern Nigeria, except for theSambisa Forest. In May 2015, the Nigerian military announced that they had released about 700 women from camps inSambisa Forest.[citation needed]
Jonathan believed the APC's popularity was inflated, having made his view clear in an interview withThe Cable, Nigeria's Independent Online Newspaper in 2015—just two days to the general elections. Jonathan said "I don't think Nigerians will make the mistake of voting for Buhari. Gen. Buhari, with due respect, is not the right option for Nigeria at this time. It is a gamble that is not worth taking. I may not be perfect as nobody is perfect. But I believe that come Saturday, the majority of Nigerian voters will choose me as the best candidate to lead the nation forward."[86]
On 31 March 2015, Jonathan conceded the election to challengerMuhammadu Buhari, who was sworn in to succeed him on 29 May 2015.[87] Jonathan said in a statement he issued on 31 March 2015 that "Nobody's ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian."[88]
Since leaving office, Jonathan has continued to defend his administration. In 2019, he was appointed as the honorary special advisor to the Bayelsa Education Trust Fund board.[89] In June 2019, Goodluck Jonathan was named chairperson of the newly inaugurated International Summit Council for Peace.[90] In July 2020, Jonathan was appointedspecial envoy of theEconomic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)[91] to lead mediation talks during the2020 Malian protests.[92]
Nothing was later heard of it, as Jonathan never appeared for screening at the APC Secretariat. FormerLagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, emerged the APC candidate at a primary election conducted on 8 June 2022, defeating then-vice president Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and a host of other aspirants.[94]
Effective April 27, 2021, H.E. Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan serves as the 3rd Chancellor of Cavendish University Uganda. He replaces H.E. Benjamin Mkapa (former President of the United Republic of Tanzania and 2nd Chancellor) and H.E. Dr. Kenneth Kaunda (former President of the Republic of Zambia and 1st Chancellor).[96]
In 2013, Jonathan was awarded thechieftaincy title of theSe lolia I of Wakirike Bese. His wife, Patience Jonathan, also received a title of her own during the same ceremony.[101]
^abcHeyford, Lawson (11 December 2006)."Jonathan: A Colossus at 49".The Source. Vol. 20, no. 10.Lagos: Summit Publications Ltd. Archived fromthe original on 15 January 2009. Retrieved16 May 2023.
^Oduyemi, Rachael O.; Ayegboyin, Matthew; Salami, Kabiru K. (2016). "Perceptions of Ebola virus disease in Nigeria: Understanding the influence of imagination on health orientation".International Journal of Nursing Practice.22 (3):291–299.doi:10.1111/ijn.12425.ISSN1440-172X.PMID27080239.
The Cabinet of President Goodluck Jonathan which was formed during his time as Acting President, on 6 April 2010, is shown below. Ministers of State are not shown.
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