Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has spoken out about his emotional experience after losing the 2015 election.
The inaugural Raymond Dokpesi Annual Diamond Lecture, held in Abuja on Friday, October 25, was hosted by Daar Communications and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations to remember the late media mogul Raymond Dokpesi, who passed away in May 2023.
Jonathan, who was president from 2010 to 2015, described his deep emotions of solitude after losing his re-election campaign. “It is not easy to lose an election as a president. You will think the whole world is against you,” he said. He ran for a second term in 2015 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) beat him, making him the first incumbent Nigerian president to lose a bid for reelection.
Despite the loss, Jonathan made waves by politely conceding and congratulated Buhari even before the official results were revealed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). At Friday’s ceremony, he told how Dokpesi provided much-needed support following the loss, giving him hope and encouragement to move forward.
Jonathan shared, “Dokpesi invited me before I handed over. I remember what he said to me when I lost the election… After I listened to all the conversations, he congratulated me and encouraged me to look beyond the election.”
Jonathan later wrote about these thoughts in his book, My Transition Hours, which offers a more thorough look into his experience transitioning out of office.
He claimed that Dokpesi’s advice not only helped with the upcoming transition but also gave him spiritual strength for his new life as a private citizen.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
