Want to hear the story of why his parents named him Goodluck? He survived after his parents lost many children before him. If you ask me, luck is definitely on his side; currently, he is the only surviving child of his parents. Long before he was elected President of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan had a long career in Nigerian politics.
Goodluck Jonathan is a well-known politician and scholar who has accumulated money and fame. With an academic education, he entered politics and became well-known as a leader who was devoted to democratic administration with a kind heart. He is the first Nigerian president to accept a loss in the country’s 2015 gubernatorial elections; this doesn’t mean he was unlucky.
This article from Naijassador will reveal to you all you need to know about former President Goodluck Jonathan—the former governor of Bayelsa State and the former president of Nigeria.
Early Years
Goodluck Jonathan was born in Otueke, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, on November 20, 1957. Born into a modest family of Christian Ijaw canoe manufacturers in Ogbia. His mother, Eunice Ayi Ebele Jonathan, was a retired farmer, while his father, Lawrence Ebele Jonathan, made canoes. He completed his elementary education at Saint Michael Primary School in Oloibiri and Saint Stephen Primary School in Otuoke (now State School, Otuoke). After that, Mr. Jonathan attended Mater Dei High School in Imiringi, where he graduated in 1975.
After completing his elementary and senior schooling, he approached his early years with tenacity and a voracious appetite for knowledge. Following his academic path, Jonathan graduated from the University of Port Harcourt with a degree in Zoology in 1981, a master’s degree in Hydrobiology and Fisheries Biology in 1985, and a Ph.D. in Zoology in 1995.
Career
Then, from 1993 to 1998, he worked as an assistant director for the now-defunct Oil and Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission. Jonathan held positions as an environmental protection officer, a lecturer, and an education inspector before entering politics in 1998. Following the death in office of General Sani Abacha, the military leader of Nigeria from 1993 to 1998, Jonathan entered politics.
Jonathan’s political career started at the state level, where he assisted Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, the PDP’s nominee for governor of Bayelsa State, as deputy governor. His career took off after he was appointed governor in 2005, serving as such from May 1999 to December 2005. This occurred when the Bayelsa State Assembly impeached Alaimeyeseigha on allegations of money laundering. He kept exhibiting the leadership traits that finally brought him to the attention of the country.
On February 9, 2010, Jonathan took over as acting president of Nigeria due to President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s illness. On February 10, 2010, Jonathan announced a small-scale reorganization of the cabinet on his first day as acting president. On May 5, 2010, Yar’Adua passed away; he never fully recovered.
The next day, Jonathan took the oath of office as president. As the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2011 presidential election, he carried on with his political career and won the right to govern Nigeria for a whole term. He led the country as president between 2010 and 2015. During Jonathan’s first full term in office, the Islamic militant group Boko Haram-led insurgency dominated the northeast. Under Jonathan’s leadership, Boko Haram’s terror attacks intensified.
The government responded by imposing states of emergency in the most affected areas and attempting to mediate the situation, but the group’s violence persisted until a regional force was established and started actively pursuing the group in February 2015. Jonathan made uneven progress in addressing the nation’s economic problems; while the economy grew overall while he was in office, a large number of Nigerians remained impoverished, with the north housing a disproportionate share of these individuals.
He was the first sitting president in Nigerian history to surrender an election, having lost to former military chief of state General Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. Dr. Jonathan has remained dedicated to advancing democracy, peace, and adherence to the rule of law throughout Africa ever since he left office in 2015.
The Goodluck Jonathan Foundation was established to support best practices in African democracy and peacebuilding, and he currently serves as its chairman. In addition, he is the organizer of the West African Elders Forum, a platform for peacebuilding and mediation made up of notable regional leaders and former presidents to address violence associated with elections and other socio-political issues.
Furthermore, he has spearheaded multiple global election observation expeditions to Tanzania, Zambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, and Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Gambia, and Kenya from 2015 to 2023. Just when many thought his luck had run out, he went on to do bigger things and gain global recognition.
Global Recognition
Goodluck Jonathan gained international recognition for his efforts to advance democracy, peace, and stability in Nigeria and the West African area. He was a leader to learn from, throughout his administration and even after.
His dedication to electoral reform and the promotion of legitimate elections characterized his administration. Making history, the former president Jonathan was the first leader from Sub-Saharan Africa to be selected to the European Corporate Council on Africa and the Middle East’s International Advisory Board.
As President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), he collaborated with other heads of state in these and other nations to resolve political unrest and maintain democratic systems in nations such as Cote d’Ivoire, Niger, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Liberia, Sierra Leone, the Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, and Togo.
Throughout his term, he committed to delivering peace and security to Africa, which increased its standing in the UN Security Council.
Private Life
Goodluck Jonathan, the former president, is renowned for having a composed and friendly manner. He is a family man who was united in marriage in 1993 with Dame Patience Jonathan, whom he met while attending the institution.
The union is blessed with two children, a daughter named Aruabai, and a son named Ariwera. Meni Jonathan, Goodluck Jonathan’s brother, passed away in November 2012. He also had a sister, Nancy Jonathan-Olei, who passed away at the age of 52 on January 4, 2015, following a protracted battle with a heart-related illness.
His favorable reputation on a national and international level can be attributed to his personal principles, which include humility and a strong commitment to public service.
Controversies
Many people accused Jonathan and his government of corruption, which made them very contentious. Jonathan was accused of ordering $15 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria before he was even elected president, utilizing the funds for his campaign and other personal endeavors rather than for legitimate national security purposes.
Following his election to the presidency, it is said that he and his government misappropriated large quantities of money multiple times, with billions of dollars either going missing or going to powerful figures. Jonathan enacted the controversial Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act, which prohibits homosexual partnerships and imposes harsh penalties for anyone who violates it, among other contentious measures.
Jonathan was notably divisive as president because of what many saw as his failure to protect the country from terrorist threats, particularly those posed by Boko Haram.
During Jonathan’s presidency, that gang carried out multiple bombings and other attacks, resulting in thousands of casualties. The nation was under attack from terrorism, which persisted even after Nigeria and its allies launched counterinsurgencies. Protesters called on Jonathan to take the fight to the terrorists head-on.
Achievements
He was a professor at the institution from 1983 to 1993 at the Rivers State College of Education. Jonathan unveiled his ‘Roadmap for Power Sector Reform’ on August 2, 2010. Its main objective was to provide Nigeria with a steady supply of power.
Nigeria gave management of its state power assets to fifteen private bidders, splitting up the country’s electricity supplier, the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, into fifteen separate entities. The Canadian consulting firm CPCS Transcom Limited, which specializes in energy and transportation infrastructure projects, was hired by the Nigerian government to serve as the transaction adviser for the transfer of state electrical assets.
Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) and Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) were awarded to Former President Goodluck Jonathan.
He was awarded First Class of the Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis in Namibia on March 22, 2014. The chieftaincy title of Se Lolia I of Wakirike Bese was bestowed upon Jonathan in 2013. On the same occasion, his wife, Patience Jonathan, was also awarded a title of her own. In 2019, he was designated as the board of the Bayelsa Education Trust Fund’s honorary special advisor.
In June 2019, he was named chair of the International Summit Council for Peace. In July 2020, he was designated as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) special envoy. He led the mediation negotiations during the 2020 protests in Mali.
Goodluck Jonathan received a great deal of attention in 2023 for his ongoing dedication to promoting democracy and peace. His participation in global programs for election observation and conflict resolution demonstrated his commitment to promoting stability and democratic values.
Allegations surfaced that Jonathan indicated a desire to run for president of Nigeria in 2023 as a member of the All-Progressives Congress (APC). On April 1, 2023, in Kigali, Rwanda, during the African Heritage Concert and Awards, he received an honor. The honor was given to Africans who had made history by achieving extraordinary feats all across the world.
Jonathan was named chairman of the delegation for COMESA and the African Union in the 2023 general election in Zimbabwe. He gave a news conference on Friday, August 25, 2023, and the ratings of Zimbabwe’s electoral authorities were not good.
Get in touch with Goodluck Jonathan
Goodluck Jonathan can be contacted via his formal channels for questions or correspondence, which include his public relations staff or the appropriate political offices. He is active on social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter. He has 2.4 million followers on Twitter, where he is very active. He typically updates his followers on his daily activities and engagements.
In summary
Jonathan’s ascent to the top of Nigerian politics from a humble upbringing is evidence of his tenacity and commitment. His dedication to democratic values, peacebuilding, and socioeconomic development has defined his leadership legacy both at home and abroad. As long as he keeps making contributions to public life, Goodluck Jonathan will always be a significant player in Nigerian politics.
Things you should know about Goodluck Jonathan, a political leader.
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Written by Pamella Tori
