Thank you, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan!

Sir, Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan is a Nigerian politician who served as the President of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. GEJ lost the 2015 presidential election to the former military head of Nigeria— General Muhammadu Buhari. Being the first in Nigeria as an incumbent president to lose re-election and conceded defeat, Jonathan made history.

In retrospect, every Nigerian residing in the United States or the Diaspora who witnessed the “Trump insurrection” and the seditious act of his supporters in Washington, D.C., USA days ago will be quick to appease and appreciate the meekness and courteous goodwill of former President Goodluck Jonathan. In 2015, Jonathan knew he had a fiduciary obligation to Nigerians and their future; he conceded the ace election that brought Buhari to power. Jonathan never made a bogus claim of winning “a lot” in the election he lost, the preposterous claim of the outgoing mendacious Potus in Washington. 

For Jonathan to accept defeat 2015 was a big deal! Yes! His concession was a tremendous deal that saved lives and Nigeria from the brink of the abyss. Unfortunately, the victor in the election, Buhari, of the electoral victory of 2015 has become a glorified vector mismanaging our collective mandate and victory.

The unfortunate insurrection that happened in Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., USA marred our dear commonwealth. Still, my privileged country—-the United States of America, has a way of bouncing back from uproar and adversity. The United States will come back to be the known shining city on the hill. America will revert and rebound to be a beacon of democracy and lead the world again.

In reality, no one has a monopoly on violence and chaos. Expeditiously, the meek ones at the top in a potential mob and violent environment can sometimes save people in the volatile atmosphere. Imagine if Jonathan had not called Buhari to concede power in the 2015 general election defeat! Uhmm! Nigeria would have ebbed into chaos and what I call ‘somalic and iraqic’ (Somalia and Iraq mayhem) conundrums. This piece is not meant to excuse the former President from the chronic corruption under his regime.

And neither am I writing to excoriate or censure the former President. I am writing to show personal gratitude to him to have recouped Nigeria from the imminent crisis at that critical moment in our nation’s history.

“We the Buharists” may not understand or appreciate the imports of this appreciative piece; those who have conscious minds will comprehend the former President’s historic concession. Those who had wanted GEJ to fight the people’s popular wish were surreptitiously engaging in treasonable felony and insurrection with no nostalgia. Just like what happened in the Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C. a few days ago, those who have seen the causative effects of thunder will refrain from taking part in abusing Sango-the King of Koso. Kudos to Jonathan for saving Nigeria from Nigerians.

Yahaya Balogun wrote from Arizona, USA.