Former President Goodluck Jonathan has challenged Nigeria’s former political officeholders to take responsibility for the quality of leadership emerging in the country.
He warned that failure to mentor younger politicians could leave the next generation repeating avoidable mistakes.
Jonathan said leaving public office should not end former leaders’ responsibility to Nigeria. Their experience, he argued, should help build a political culture rooted in integrity, accountability, tolerance and national interest.

“If we fail to guide the next generation, we risk leaving them to learn the lessons of leadership through avoidable mistakes,” he warned.
Jonathan spoke in an address delivered on his behalf by Bala James Nggilari, former Deputy Governor of Adamawa State, at the fifth national conference of the Forum of Former Deputy Governors of Nigeria (FFDGN) in Abuja on Tuesday.
The conference was held at Abuja Continental Hotel under the theme, “Thinking Nation Building: Bridging the Leadership-Citizen Disconnect through Orientation, Attitude, Character, Culture and Tradition for Sustainable Development.”

Jonathan, the forum’s grand patron, said Nigeria needed leaders who understood that political power was a public trust, not a personal possession.
He stressed that public office carried obligations beyond party loyalty and individual ambition.
“Our young people need more than opportunities to lead. They need guidance to understand that leadership is a trust, public office is a responsibility, and true success lies in serving the people with honesty and honour,” he said.
He urged former deputy governors to share lessons from their political experiences, lead by example and discourage intolerance, divisive politics and the pursuit of personal interests at the expense of the country.

Jonathan also identified ethnic, religious and regional divisions as major obstacles to Nigeria’s political development.
He called on political leaders to place competence, integrity and inclusion at the centre of public service, insisting that national interest must take precedence over partisan considerations.
“Nigeria must always be greater than any political party, individual or sectional interest,” he declared. The former president said the FFDGN was well positioned to promote national unity because its members came from different political parties and regions.
He said the diversity offered the forum an opportunity to build bridges across political divides and contribute to democratic development.

Jonathan noted that deputy governors played important stabilising roles while in office, serving as links between governors, political parties and citizens.
He urged members to extend that responsibility beyond their tenure and contribute more actively to national development.
He also called for constructive engagement between serving governors and their deputies to minimise friction and improve governance.

Beyond mentorship, Jonathan challenged the forum to move beyond social gatherings and become a stronger platform for policy development and institutional reform.
He urged members to review Nigeria’s constitutional framework continuously and submit well-considered recommendations to the National Assembly to address governance challenges and strengthen democracy.
Jonathan also called for policies that would expand opportunities for young Nigerians, describing the country’s hardworking, creative and resilient population as its greatest asset.