Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan (born 20 November 1957)
[Lawson Heyford]
, ''The Source'' (Lagos), 11 December 2006. is a
Nigerian
Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
who served as the
President of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. He lost the
2015 presidential election to former military head of state General
Muhammadu Buhari, and was the first incumbent president in
Nigerian
Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...
history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
to concede defeat in an election. Prior to that, he served as
Vice President of Nigeria from 2007 to 2010 under the administration of
Umaru Musa Yar'Adua; and in oil-rich
Bayelsa State
Bayelsa is one of the states in the South-South region of Nigeria, located in the core of the Niger Delta region. Bayelsa State was created in 1996 and was carved out from Rivers State, making it one of the newest states in the federation. Y ...
as
Governor of Bayelsa State from 2005 to 2007.
Early life
Goodluck Jonathan was born on 20 November 1957 in
Ogbia to a
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...
family of canoe makers,
[Lawson Heyford]
"Jonathan: A Colossus at 49"
, ''The Source'' (Lagos), 11 December 2006.
. Al Jazeera.net. from the
Ijaw ethnicity
An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...
in Bayelsa state. He was born in Otuoke, his father Lawrence Ebele Jonathan was a canoe- maker and his mother Eunice Ayi Ebele Jonathan was a retired farmer. He attended a Christian primary and secondary school.
Education
He received a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
in
zoology
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...
(
second-class honours), a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in
hydrobiology and
fisheries biology
Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditar ...
; and a doctorate in zoology from the
University of Port Harcourt. During his time in the university he taught at rivers state college of education from 1982 to 1998.
Pre-presidency
Before his entry into politics in 1998, he worked as an education inspector, a lecturer and an environmental-protection officer. His political career began when he became involved with the nascent People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the late 1990s.
Governorship
On 29 May 1999, Jonathan was sworn in as Deputy Governor of
Bayelsa alongside
Diepreye Alamieyeseigha who came in as the governor of the state on the platform of PDP. Jonathan served as Deputy Governor until December 2005. On 9 December 2005, Jonathan, who was the deputy governor at the time, was sworn in as the governor of Bayelsa State upon the impeachment of the current Governor
Diepreye Alamieyeseigha by the Bayelsa State Assembly after being charged with money laundering in
the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
.
Vice-presidency
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, the
Federal Executive Council and chairman of the National Economic Council.
Jonathan was instrumental in negotiating an agreement with many of the major
militant groups in the Niger Delta to lay down their weapons and stop fighting as part of a government amnesty program.
Order of succession
Jonathan was named as Acting President of Nigeria on 9 February 2010, following a controversial doctrine of necessity from the
Senate of Nigeria
The Senate is the upper chamber of Nigeria's bicameral legislature, the National Assembly of Nigeria. The National Assembly (popularly referred to as NASS) is the nation's highest legislature, whose power is to make laws, is summarized in chapt ...
due to President Yar'Adua's trip to
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries by area, fifth-largest country in Asia ...
in November 2009 for medical treatment.
On 10 February 2010, his first day as acting president, Jonathan announced a minor cabinet reshuffle.
In accordance with the order of succession in the
Nigerian constitution
The Constitution of Nigeria is the written supreme law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Nigeria has had many constitutions. Its current form was enacted on 29 May 1999 and inaugurated the Fourth Nigerian Republic.
History
Nigeria's str ...
following President Yar'Adua's death on 5 May 2010, Jonathan, as Acting President, was sworn in as the substantive president of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria on 6 May 2010. On 18 May 2010, the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...
approved Jonathan's nomination of
Kaduna State Governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Namadi Sambo, to replace him as Vice President.
[NASS confirms Sambo as vice president]
. Punch Newspaper["National Assembly confirms Sambo as Vice President"](_blank)
, ''Liberty News'' For the
general election in 2011, Jonathan and Vice President Sambo attended political events and travelled the country to campaign for the nation's highest office.
A year later, on 29 May 2011 he was sworn in as President of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, becoming Nigeria's 14th Head of State. 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. 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".
Presidency
Economics
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 and
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...
.
The Jonathan administration accrued over US$454 billion while in office from oil revenue. Jonathan previously served as an assistant director at the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development commission between 1993 and 1998.
The Jonathan administration oversaw the construction of new railways in the country, including the Abuja-Kaduna railway, Lagos-Ibadan railway and conceptualised high speed rail projects. Construction and beautification of many federal roads in the country, including the Lagos-Benin expressway, Abuja-Lokoja expressway, Enugu-Abakiliki expressway, Onitsha-Owerri highway and most parts of the Enugu-Port Harcourt expressway. Also, construction of the second Niger Bridge between Onitsha and Asaba to relieve the pressure on the old Niger Bridge which was completed in December 1965. Construction of airports across the country. The Akanu Ibiam Airport in Enugu was upgraded into an international airport, directly connecting the South-East region of the country to the outside world for the first time since independence.
On 2 August 2010, Jonathan launched his 'Roadmap for Power Sector Reform‘.
[Roadmap for Power Sector Reform](_blank)
. (PDF). Its primary goal was to achieve stable electricity supply in Nigeria. The
Power Holding Company of Nigeria
The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), formerly the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), is an organisation governing the use of electricity in Nigeria. During the era when it operated as NEPA, the company managed a football team, NEP ...
, 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. The Nigerian government contracted for the services of
CPCS 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.
Historically, the Nigerian power sector has been plagued by
blackouts. 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 the
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
, a lack of access to financing and electricity were cited as Nigeria's main obstacles to development, surpassing corruption.
Finances
Jonathan suspended
Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as governor of the
Central Bank of Nigeria after a series of public investigations and raising the alarm on the
US$20 billion NNPC scandal in a leaked letter which revealed that the
Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation failed to account for US$48.9 billion of government oil revenue to the central bank – the NNPC has a history of financial irregularities and oversees the corrupt
petroleum 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 minister
Diezani 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 the
Central Bank of Nigeria to support his election and other self-seeking 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 president
Idi Amin
Idi Amin Dada Oumee (, ; 16 August 2003) was a Ugandan military officer and politician who served as the third president of Uganda from 1971 to 1979. He ruled as a military dictator and is considered one of the most brutal despots in modern w ...
.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, an economist and former
Finance Minister of Nigeria
The Minister of Finance of Nigeria is a senior cabinet official in the Nigerian Federal Executive Council. The Finance Minister's directs the Nigerian Ministry of Finance and ensures that it operates in a transparent, accountable and efficient ma ...
, pegged Jonathan's administration as the main cause of Nigeria's economic woes in a lecture at
George Washington University
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, presi ...
, although she later denied it. However, none of the corruption allegations against Jonathan have been proven in any law court.
Corruption
Jonathan's government has largely been described as corrupt. According to ''
The Economist
''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econ ...
'', corruption flourished
under the Jonathan administration, "who let politicians and their cronies fill their pockets with impunity." Large sums of money have been used improperly multiple times, with
₦3.98 trillion (US$20 billion) allegedly going missing and ₦398 billion ($2 billion) of military funds allegedly dispersed amongst high-ranking officials. In 2006, reports released by Wikileaks claimed that Jonathan's wife,
Patience Jonathan
Dame Patience Faka Jonathan (''née'' iwari)(born 25 October 1957) is a Nigerian civil servant who served as the First Lady of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015 and second lady of Nigeria from 2007 to 2010. She is the wife of former president and Vic ...
, was indicted for money-laundering by Nigeria's anti-crime agency, the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Since May 2015, the
Muhammadu Buhari administration reportedly has been fighting corruption that was perpetrated under Jonathan. Some of the former political office holders and appointees that served under Jonathan, as well as party members, have been arrested on various corruption charges. It is alleged that some, including former Finance Minister
Nenadi Usman, have returned part of the money they stole. None of these politicians have however been convicted of the alleged crimes. It remains unclear whether or not Jonathan, who is believed to have either masterminded or condoned the corruption, will be arrested.
Foreign affairs
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.
National issues
2010 Nigerian lead poisoning incident
In January 2013, Jonathan reportedly promised $4 million to assist in cleaning up villages that have been affected by a
lead poisoning
Lead poisoning, also known as plumbism and saturnism, is a type of metal poisoning caused by lead in the body. The brain is the most sensitive. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, constipation, headaches, irritability, memory problems, inferti ...
incident. Over 400 children died and
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human ...
said that releasing the funds "could be lifesaving for countless children."
2012 Occupy Nigeria protests
On 1 January 2012, the Jonathan administration announced the start of a controversial plan to end fuel subsidies. Following the
Nigeria Labour Congress' warning that the country faces many strikes, the country unions followed up with strikes that were matched with
civil protests from 9–13 January 2012. Protesters and groups called for Jonathan to resign over the removal of fuel subsidies. After five days of national protests and strikes, on 16 January, Jonathan announced that the pump price of petroleum would be 97
naira per litre compared to a post-subsidy level of 147 naira.
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. The
Subsidy 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 that claimed the fuel subsidy ($8 billion per year, or 25% of the government annual budget) was not sustainable.
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution, often stylized as simply Brookings, is an American research group founded in 1916. Located on Think Tank Row in Washington, D.C., the organization conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in e ...
, a think tank, praised the government's move, arguing that the subsidy crowds out other development spending, like education, and that it discourages investment in the country's economic lifeblood, the oil sector. In his book, "My Transition Hours", Goodluck Jonathan said that subsidy was consuming too much of our revenues and the public believed that the sector was highly corrupt. He mentioned that the Minister of Finance
Ngozi Okonjo Iweala briefed him about the corrupt practices that a technical committee she had put together discovered. He said that he was alarmed that billions of naira was being lost by the nation through the subsidy regime.
Many prominent Nigerians spoke out against the removal of the subsidy. Former Petroleum Minister Professor Tam David-West spoke out and expressed concern that the planned removal of the fuel subsidy will squeeze the economy, increase inflation, and hurt both businesses and the public. A former military Head of State and a former Minister for Petroleum & Natural Resources, General
Muhammadu Buhari, urged Jonathan not to remove the fuel subsidy and to tackle corruption.
Yakubu Gowon
Yakubu Dan-Yumma 'Jack' Gowon (born 19 October 1934) is a retired Nigerian Army general and military leader. As Head of State of Nigeria, Gowon presided over a controversial Nigerian Civil War and delivered the famous "no victor, no vanquis ...
, another former military Head of State, warned the government that the country's infrastructure should be revived before fuel subsidy removal steps were taken. 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.
2014 National Conference
In March 2014, President Jonathan inaugurated the 2014 National Conference. The conference was the first of its kind since the 2005 political reform conference, it had 492 delegates that debated on key socio-political national issues impeding national development.
2014 Ebola outbreak
On 20 July 2014,
Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian-American, flew from
Monrovia
Monrovia () is the capital city of the West African country of Liberia. Founded in 1822, it is located on Cape Mesurado on the Atlantic coast and as of the 2008 census had 1,010,970 residents, home to 29% of Liberia’s total population. As th ...
to
Murtala Muhammed International Airport in
Lagos
Lagos ( Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 f ...
, with a stopover at
Lomé
Lomé is the capital and largest city of Togo. It has an urban population of 837,437 , Togo. 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.
On 6 August 2014, the Nigerian health minister told reporters: "Yesterday, the first known Nigerian to die of Ebola was recorded. 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. "According to the
WHO, 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.
2014 Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act
In January 2014, Jonathan signed into law the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act after it was passed by the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...
and
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
. 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.
Penalties can be up to 14 years in prison for gay marriages and up to 10 years for other violations of the law. 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
' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.
The LGBT term i ...
bill stipulates that those who withhold the details of LGBT individuals face prison terms of up to five years. His decision and the law itself have been described as controversial, but according to a poll, 92% of Nigerians supported the ban.
Security issues
Jonathan's administration was heavily criticized for its failure to tackle insecurity. The first major challenge was the
October 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 General
Ibrahim Babangida, and to win popular sympathy ahead of the elections.
2011
On 29 May 2011, a few hours after Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in as president,
several bombings purportedly by Boko Haram killed 15 and injured 55. On 16 June 2011, Boko Haram claimed to have conducted the
Abuja police headquarters bombing, the first known suicide attack in Nigeria. Two months later the
United Nations building in Abuja was bombed, signifying the first time that Boko Haram attacked an international organisation. In December 2011, it carried out
attacks in Damaturu killing over a hundred people, subsequently
clashing with security forces in December, resulting in at least 68 deaths. Two days later on
Christmas Day, Boko Haram attacked several Christian churches with bomb blasts and shootings.
2012
Following the
January 2012 Northern Nigeria attacks, which left over hundreds of casualties,
Abubakar Shekau, a former deputy of
Mohammed Yusuf, appeared in a video posted on YouTube. According to
Reuters
Reuters ( ) is a news agency owned by Thomson Reuters Corporation. It employs around 2,500 journalists and 600 photojournalists in about 200 locations worldwide. Reuters is one of the largest news agencies in the world.
The agency was est ...
, Shekau took control of the group after the death of Yusuf in 2009. Authorities had previously believed that Shekau died during the violence in 2009. By early 2012, the group was responsible for over 900 deaths. On 8 March 2012, a small
Special Boat Service team and the Nigerian Army
attempted to rescue two hostages, Chris McManus and Franco Lamolinara, being held in Nigeria by members of the Boko Haram terrorist organisation loyal to
al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda (; , ) is an Islamic extremism, Islamic extremist organization composed of Salafist jihadists. Its members are mostly composed of Arab, Arabs, but also include other peoples. Al-Qaeda has mounted attacks on civilian and military ta ...
. The two hostages were killed before or during the rescue attempt. All the hostage takers were reportedly killed.
2013
On 18 March, a
bus station was bombed in Kano, with several casualties. 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. The state of emergency, applied to the states of
Borno,
Yobe, and
Adamawa in northeastern Nigeria. 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. In July 2013, Boko Haram
massacred 42 students in Yobe, bringing the school year to an early end in the state. On 5 August 2013, Boko Haram launched dual attacks on Bama and Malam Fatori, leaving 35 dead.
2014
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. On 14 April, over 200 schoolgirls in
Chibok were
kidnapped
Kidnapped may refer to:
* subject to the crime of kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically ...
. A few weeks later in May, a terrorist
offensive 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. 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. This reportedly enraged Boko Haram leaders.
In May 2014,
two bombs exploded in Jos, resulting in the deaths of at least 118 people and the injury or over 56 others. During the
June 2014 Northern Nigeria attacks
Between 23 and 25 June 2014, a series of attacks occurred in central Nigeria. On 23–24 June, gunmen attacked a number of villages in Kaduna State, killing around 150 people. The attack was blamed on Fulani tribesmen. On 25 June 2014, a ...
, a plaza in the capital city was bombed and hundreds of villagers attacked in a two-day killing spree in
Kaduna. In November, Boko Haram
bombed the city of Kano, attempting to assassinate the Emir
Muhammadu Sanusi II. Starting in late 2014, Boko Haram militants attacked several Nigerian towns in the North and captured them. 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 of
Bama, according to the town's residents. 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." 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.
2015
Between 3 and 7 January 2015, Boko Haram attacked the town of
Baga and
killed up to 2,000 people, perhaps the largest
massacre
A massacre is the killing of a large number of people or animals, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves. A massacre is generally considered to be morally unacceptable, especially when per ...
by Boko Haram. On 10 January 2015, a bomb attack took place at the Monday Market in
Maiduguri, killing 19 people. 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. On 26 January 2015
CNN reported that the attack on Maiduguri by "hundreds of gunmen" had been repelled, but the nearby town of
Monguno
Monguno is one of the LGAs Local Government Area of Borno State in northeastern Nigeria.
Landscape
Monguno has a total landscape area of 1,913 km
Population
Monguno has a population of 109,851 at the 2006 census.
Postal Code
The po ...
was captured by Boko Haram. The Nigerian Army claimed to have successfully repelled another attack on Maiduguri on 31 January 2015. Starting in late January 2015, a coalition of military forces from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger began a
counter-insurgency
Counterinsurgency (COIN) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the activities of guerrillas or revolutionar ...
campaign against Boko Haram. On 4 February 2015, the
Chad Army
french: Armée nationale tchadienne
, image =
, alt =
, caption =
, image2 =
, alt2 =
, caption2 =
, motto ...
killed over 200 Boko Haram militants. Soon afterwards, Boko Haram launched an attack on the Cameroonian town of
Fotokol
Fotokol is a town and commune in Logone-et-Chari Department, Far North Region, Cameroon. It is home to Fotokol High School.
The town is about across a small river from the Nigerian village of Gamboru, where Fotokol residents often go for supplie ...
, killing 81 civilians, 13 Chadian soldiers and 6 Cameroonian soldiers.
On 17 February 2015 the Nigerian military retook Monguno in a coordinated air and ground assault. On 7 March 2015, Boko Haram's leader
Abubakar Shekau pledged allegiance to the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...
(ISIL) via an audio message posted on the organisation's Twitter account. 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 spokesman
Abu Mohammad al-Adnani
Taha Sobhi Falaha ( ar, طٰهٰ صُبْحِيِّ فَلَاحَةٍ, Ṭāhā Ṣobḥī Falāḥa; 1977 – 30 August 2016), known as Abu Muhammad al-Adnani al-Shami ( ar, أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ ٱلْعَدْنَانِيُّ ٱلشَ ...
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. 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 first
vali (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".
On 24 March 2015, residents of
Damasak, Nigeria said that Boko Haram had taken more than 400 women and children from the town as they fled from coalition forces. On 27 March 2015, the Nigerian army captured
Gwoza, which was believed to be the location of Boko Haram headquarters. On election day, 28 March 2015, Boko Haram extremists killed 41 people, including a legislator, to discourage hundreds from voting.
Niger Army soldiers during
counter-insurgency
Counterinsurgency (COIN) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the activities of guerrillas or revolutionar ...
operations against Boko Haram in March 2015. In March 2015, Boko Haram lost control of the Northern Nigerian towns of
Bama and
Gwoza (believed to be their headquarters) to the
Nigerian Army. The Nigerian authorities said that they had taken back 11 of the 14 districts previously controlled by Boko Haram. In April 2016, four Boko Haram camps in the
Sambisa Forest were overrun by the Nigerian military who freed nearly 300 females. Boko Haram forces were believed to have retreated to the
Mandara Mountains, along the
Cameroon–Nigeria border. On 16 March 2015, the Nigerian army said that it had recaptured Bama. On 27 March 2015, the day before the
Nigerian presidential election, the
Nigerian Army announced that it had recaptured the town of Gwoza from Boko Haram.
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 the
Sambisa Forest. In May 2015, the Nigerian military announced that they had released about 700 women from camps in
Sambisa Forest.
2015 election
Jonathan believed the APC's popularity was inflated, having made his view clear in an interview with
The 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."
On 31 March 2015, Jonathan conceded the election to challenger
Muhammadu Buhari, who was sworn in to succeed him on 29 May 2015. Jonathan said in a statement he issued on 31 March 2015 that "Nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian."
2023 election
It was alleged that Jonathan has expressed interest to stand for the 2023 Nigeria presidential election under the All People's party (APC). To achieve this, the APC primary nomination form have been picked up for him by his supporters, which was debunked by his media aide Ikechukwu Eze.
Post-presidency
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. In June 2019, Goodluck Jonathan was named chairperson of the newly inaugurated International Summit Council for Peace. In July 2020, Jonathan was appointed
special envoy of the
Economic Community of West African States
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS; also known as in French and Portuguese) is a regional political and economic union of fifteen countries located in West Africa. Collectively, these countries comprise an area of , and in ...
(ECOWAS); to lead mediation talks during the
2020 Malian protests
Protests in Mali began on 5 June 2020 when protesters gathered in the streets of Bamako, calling for Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta to resign as president of Mali. The protests ended after a coup d'état on 18 August. Both the president and prime mini ...
.
Personal life
Family
Jonathan and his wife,
Dame Patience Jonathan, have two children, Ariwera (son) and Aruabai (daughter).
Wealth
In 2007, Jonathan declared his assets worth a total of
₦295,304,420 (then equivalent to US$8,569,662).
Honours
National honours
*:
**
Grand Commander of the
Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR)
**
Grand Commander of the
Order of the Niger (GCON)
Foreign honours
*:
**
First Class of the
Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia mirabilis (22 March 2014)
Other honours
*In 2013, Jonathan was awarded the
chieftaincy
A tribal chief or chieftain is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom.
Tribe
The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of western Afroeurasia.
Tribal societies are sometimes categorized ...
title of the "Se lolia I" of Wakirike Bese. His wife, Patience Jonathan, also received a title of her own during the same ceremony.
See also
*
List of Governors of Bayelsa State
*
List of heads of state of Nigeria
References
Further reading
* Ayoade, John A., and Adeoye A. Akinsanya, eds. ''Nigeria's Critical Election, 2011'' (Lexington Books; 2012)
External links
*
Goodluck4PresidentGoodluck Jonathan
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jonathan, Goodluck
1957 births
Candidates in the 2015 Nigerian general election
Governors of Bayelsa State
Grand Commanders of the Order of the Federal Republic
Ijaw people
Living people
Nigerian Christians
Nigerian zoologists
People from Bayelsa State
Peoples Democratic Party presidents of Nigeria
Presidents of Nigeria
University of Port Harcourt alumni
Vice presidents of Nigeria
Candidates in the Nigerian general election, 2011
Peoples Democratic Party state governors of Nigeria
Peoples Democratic Party vice presidents of Nigeria