What Jonathan said about his defeat at the 2015 Presidential election

DAAR Communications PLC recently held a grand reception in honour of Nigeria’s outgoing President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan. The affable Statesman, who was also presented by rare mementos by DAAR’s Chairman High Chief Raymond Dokpesi, had this to say: 

“By this time people are supposed to be running away from someone who has lost an election but I am being celebrated by DAAR Communications Plc.

“For me, whatever happened in the election I have accepted it in good faith. Even though, some have argued that those I entrusted with my campaign disappointed me, I have no regrets for losing because in any political processes, there are all kinds of stories and conspiracies.

“We are a very religious society; whether Christians or Muslims or some other religions, I believe it is the will of God that the election went the way it did. I have always maintained that for the ordinary Nigerian, what is important is the style of governance, not who is even the President.

“Anybody can be the President any day but if the country is peaceful, and economic activities are going on smoothly, our children are going to school, hospitals are okay and they can eat what they want to eat, then, of course people will be happy.

‘‘I believe the incoming administration will toe that line and Nigerians will begin to see that there is no difference between political parties because even as we see there is no difference between the PDP and the APC. If you look at the number of people that moved from PDP to APC, then you will really see that both parties are almost the same.

‘‘What is important to us as Nigerians is what the government is bringing to bear and I have always maintained that politicians must learn to put the people first. If our aspiration is really for the interest of the people, then you wouldn’t want to hurt these people, you wouldn’t want anybody to be slapped because of your own ambition.

‘‘For me, my ambition is to see what contribution I can make for the ordinary people and that is why their lives are special to me. And I wouldn’t do anything that would create crisis, to kill innocent people. People should not be surprised for the decision I took. In Nigeria, doing that (that is, killing others) is diminishing Nigeria. I wouldn’t want to be a party to what will diminish this country.

‘‘There is combination of bad and good in my administration just like in any other administration, but what should be uppermost in the mind of the leader is to make sure that the bad is not more than the good. One thing I must always ensure is peace and unity of this country.

‘‘We must have a nation before aspiring to hold any position: without a nation, you can’t be elected to any post. I charge all politicians to consider the people first before self. You can lose today and win tomorrow but anybody that dies in the process can’t be revived again. While looking for political offices, we must conduct ourselves in a way that will not halt the lives of innocent people.”