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I Reformed Democracy In Nigeria By Conceding Defeat Without A Fight – Jonathan
October 27, 2017 – I Reformed Democracy In Nigeria By Conceding Defeat Without A Fight – Ex-President Jonathan
Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday said Nigeria has to grow the credibility of its democracy to a stage where we will no longer have to wait for court judgments to conclude our elections,
Jonathan said this at the sixth edition of African Ambassadors Interactive Forum and Dinner, organised by the African Third Sector Resource in Abuja, on Thursday, where he was presented with the ‘African Leadership & Achievement Award.’
The theme of the conference is “Deepening Democracy and ensuring human security.”
He stressed that by conceding defeat before the 2015 election result was declared, he wanted to set a new standard for the nation’s democracy and prove a point that election-related litigations should no longer define Nigeria’s democracy.
He said;
“I always say that I reformed the democratic process as President in order to consolidate democracy in Nigeria and the sub-region. I conceded defeat without a fight because I wanted to set a standard for our democracy, going forward.
“My aim then was to change the narrative and prove that election-related litigations should no longer define Nigeria’s democracy. People must not always go to court and obtain judgments before elections in Nigeria are declared conclusive.
“We don’t get to hear about such court cases in mature democracies. I wanted us to get to that point in our democratic experience. I thought that it won’t be out of place if we get to that stage where those who lost elections will be able to congratulate those who won.”
Opening up further on the real reason for the decision he took, the ex-President said that his commitment to the protection of lives and investments of Nigerians, their assets and the economy made him concede defeat and avert a looming crisis.
The former President, who was represented by the former Minister of National Planning, Alhaji Abubakar Suleiman, recalled that already some agencies in the United States had predicted Nigeria’s disintegration following the growing tensions at the time, stressing that the country and indeed the African continent could have been doomed if Nigeria was allowed to slide into anarchy.
He said;
”Above all, what that decision did for me and the nation was to avert a looming crisis. Given the tension in the land as of that time, I was deeply contemplative of what would have happened if we had let our nation, the biggest black nation on earth, slide into anarchy, because of contestations for power. What then would have happened to our citizens, Nigeria’s economy and the investments driving its growth?
“I was convinced that the implications for peace and the economy of the sub-region and the rest of the continent, couldn’t have spelled anything else but doom.
“Recall that after the 2011 presidential election which most observers adjudged transparent, with my victory generally seen to have been well-deserved, crises and conflicts still surfaced that claimed the lives of many of our compatriots, and properties worth billions of naira destroyed.”
Bench
October 27, 2017 at 5:05 AM
Na lie wey he is lies upon us. Make we doesn’t biliv him o. He is lies. He want to fight bifor, but he come remember Gadaffi and Salam Husane. He come remember say he no get power reach them but their country was catch them and kill them, so he come gree say Buhari was win. Is a thing of fear.
Omodara Johnson
October 27, 2017 at 5:53 AM
Bench u will not kill somebodi today which one is Gadaffi Salam husane, u are a case.
Seriously i think u are just here to make us laf. Keep it up
IBIJOKE
October 27, 2017 at 9:19 PM
You don kill me with laugh, Obama was ready to crush him then,
Steve Onuh
October 27, 2017 at 5:58 AM
Jonathan should stop fooling himself. Which democracy? D one where u people empities our treasury pls go sit down old man
Stanley Jones
October 27, 2017 at 8:48 AM
these thief don’t even deserve milk gongoni talk less of award.
Danti
October 27, 2017 at 9:30 AM
Kai, so this is how this cretinous creature want to end this month. Ph.D in ineptitude, what a foolish thing to say! Meen! Nigeria is blessed with leaders of hades origin.
DB
October 27, 2017 at 10:12 AM
He meant to say he reformed looting. This is what happens when some hyenas decide to zone people’s votes, they will always give us snakes as leaders. Zoo republic! mtcheeeeew
iron bar
October 27, 2017 at 11:37 AM
I DOFF MY HAT FOR U FOR CONCEDING,NO OTHER PERSON HAS DONE IT.THEY WILL SIT TIGHT AND DECLARE WAR.IBB,ABACHA AND EVEN BUHARI DETHRONED DEMOCRATIC GOVT IN 1983 REGIME,ALL CAME IN THRU COUP.BUT GOODLUCK,CORRUPTION ALMOST ATE U UP AND CORRUPTION IS THE SNAKE THAT KEPT SPITTING VENOM IN OUR FACES.
Big Aunty Koks
October 27, 2017 at 7:07 PM
Olga Jona is telling the truth. It takes courage to relinquish power and considering the fact that Africans love power, he did noble for Nigeria in that respect and should be commended for it
on point
October 27, 2017 at 7:21 PM
You equally reformed how to steal our common weath
Luku
October 28, 2017 at 4:38 AM
Chicken doesn’t brave.
Knife doesn’t easy for cow neck.
Ebele sabi say Sapele water easy pass problem solving and the taste na the same for inside Aso Rock and Yenagoa.
Omokehinde
October 28, 2017 at 4:05 PM
Each time crooked and criminal Goodluck Jonathan open his stinky mouth in public, I wonder how a dummy like him managed to become a president of over 180 millions great Nigerian people. He is so ignorant, dumb, and foolish that one will no longer wonder how criminals he assembled in his highly corrupt cabinet embezzled and looted Nigeria to economy disaster and bankruptcy just in six years. In a true democracy, Whenever the people speak loud and clear at the polls and voted against any predident failed policies, it not an achievement when the predident handover power to the newly elected candidate. But the dumb Jonathan thinks Nigerians should respect and honor him for doing what is expected of any failure like him in any democracy. If Nigeria were a nation of law and order, fmr president Jonathan and his barbaric wife should be in prison right now with Fani Kayode, Allison Madueke, Anyum in Pius Anyim, Gov. Fayose and hundreds other for their roles in destroying Nigerian economy due to corruption, embezzlement, and massive looting. Shame on you Jonathan. Nonsense things like this happen only in a lawless, corrupt, and highly tribalist nation like Nigeria.
Endurance
October 28, 2017 at 9:38 PM
Can we just take a break and stop blaming jonathan for every misfortune Nigeria has experienced? Admittedly,there were misappropriation of funds and financial impropriety under Goodluck Jonathan’s administration but I wonder why we failed to open up our eyes and see the monumental corruption under the present administration which is currently hitting hard and impeding development in our country and further impoverishing millions of Nigerians. Our so much desired and beloved president who is at the same time an oil minister who prides himself as an indefatigable corruption fighter has not been able to explain to Nigerians more convincingly the $25Billions contract scam equivalent to about N9trillion in NNPC illegally carried out by one of his appointee Dr Baru Maikanti the group managing director of NNPC which has eventually brought to the fore the high-level sleaze in APC-led government. Raw cash worthing $43milion found in Ikoyi mansion which some government official’s names were mentioned up to date have not been investigated. Many APC governors have not been able to pay there civil servants salary despite the monitory intervention from the federal government and we keep blind eyes to all this colossal corruption happening just a little above 2years of APC-led administration? I just wonder how sometimes we are easily fooled by Nigerian government. Most nigerians tend to support whatever thing been dished out by the ruling Government against the past administration without us seeing any fault within the current administration. This is too poor of our overall assessment and judgement.