Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan opened up about his emotional experience following his 2015 election defeat.
Speaking at the inaugural Raymond Dokpesi Annual Diamond Lecture held in Abuja on Friday, October 25, organized by Daar Communications and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, the event honored the late media mogul Raymond Dokpesi, who passed away in May 2023.
Jonathan, who served as president from 2010 to 2015, reflected on the intense feelings of isolation he felt after losing his re-election bid. “It is not easy to lose an election as a president. You will think the whole world is against you,” he remarked. In the 2015 election, he sought a second term on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but was defeated by Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), making him the first sitting Nigerian president to lose a re-election bid.
Despite the loss, Jonathan made headlines by graciously conceding and congratulating Buhari even before the official results were announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). At Friday’s event, he recounted how Dokpesi provided much-needed support after 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 said Dokpesi’s counsel not only assisted with the impending transition but also provided him with spiritual strength for his new life as a private citizen.
He later detailed these reflections in his book, My Transition Hours, which provides a deeper look into his experience transitioning out of office.