Biography of Goodluck Jonathan , the Nigerian President
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCON
President, Commander-in-Chief of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria

Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan , Grand Commander of
the Order of the Niger, GCON, and President,
Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, was born to a humble Niger Delta family of
canoe makers on November 20, 1957. Growing up in
the warmth of a close knit family, Dr. Jonathan had
humble yet adventurous beginnings. In spite of the
enchanting beauty of the Niger Delta and the pristine
innocence of those times, the young Jonathan rather
than take after the family trade, chose to go to
school.
He attended St. Stephens and St. Michaels Primary
Schools, Oloibiri, finishing in 1969. He proceeded to
Mater Dei High School, Imiringi, where he passed his
West African School Certificate with flying colours in
1975.
On completion of his secondary education, he
worked as a Preventive Officer with the Nigerian
Customs Service for two years before proceeding to
the University of Port Harcourt as one of the pioneer
students of the new university nestling on the shores
of the Choba River. He chose Zoology. As a child he
had been fascinated with nature, and growing up by
the shores of the intertwining rivers and waterways
of the Niger Delta, aquatic life was second nature.
He graduated with Second Class Upper honours in
1981. In 1985 and 1995 he studied for his Master’s
and Ph.D degrees in Hydrobiology and Fisheries
Biology, and Zoology respectively, from the same
University. But this was not until he had completed
his mandatory one year of National Youth Service in
Iresi, old Oyo State, now Osun State of Nigeria.
Returning to the warm embrace of family and friends
in 1982, he was appointed as Science Inspector of
Education, Rivers State Ministry of Education, while
studying in between for his post-graduate and
graduate degrees. Between 1983 and 1993 he took up
employment as a lecturer in the Department of
Biological Science, Rivers State College of Education.
In 1993, he was appointed Assistant Director (Ecology
of the defunct Oil Mineral Producing Areas
Development Commission (OMPADEC) in charge of
Environmental Protection . Working in a
developmental environment, his desire to better of
the lot of the people motivated him to answer the call
to service. He resigned his job in 1998 and went into
politics.
His honesty, simplicity, charisma, quiet strength and
determination made him an ideal running mate to
Chief D.S.P. Alamieyeseigha on the Bayelsa People’s
Democratic Party, PDP, gubernatorial ticket. They
won the elections, and he served as a Deputy
Governor from 1999 to 11 December 2005. On 12
December that year, he became the substantive
Governor of Bayelsa State.
It wasn’t long after that fate once again beckoned. He
was busy preparing for re election to his first full
term as substantive governor, when the PDP, which
is the largest political party in Africa, nominated him
as running mate to the Presidential candidate, Alhaji
Umaru Musa Yar’adua. After a keenly contested
election, the Yar’adua/Jonathan ticket won, and on
May 29, 2007, he was inaugurated as Nigeria’s Vice
President.
Precisely on February 9, 2010, Dr. Jonathan assumed
office as Nigeria’s Acting President by virtue of a
National Assembly resolution empowering him as
Acting President, following President Yar’Adua’s long
absence for medical attention in Saudi Arabia.
Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was sworn-in on May, 6,
2010 as President, Commander-in-chief of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria following the passing
away of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua on May 5,
2010.

Dr. Jonathan has received several local and
international awards. He was voted the ‘Best
performing Deputy Governor’ in 2002 by IPAN, given
the ‘Democracy and Good Governance Award’ by
Nigeria Union of Journalists in 2004. The Africa
International News magazine league conferred on
him the ‘Niger Delta Development Award’; the
Nigerian Bar Association, the ‘Distinguished
Personality’ award in 2006, and the All African
Students Union in South Africa, the ‘Africa Leadership
Award 2006’.

Additionally, the Nigerian Union of Teachers voted
him the ‘Best Performing Governor in Education in
the South-South’ in 2006. He was also recognized by
the International Federation for World Peace (IIFWP)
in 22 July 2006, with ‘Ambassador for Peace Merit
Award’ as well as the ‘Leadership and Good
Governance Merit Award’.

Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is married to Dame
Patience Goodluck Jonathan, and the union is blessed
with children.

I didn't see the part where he had no shoes.... personal observation.

Ok

Ok oo

Here is a man without leadership experience, a man voted for out of pity, a man voted for 'cos he is a common man... Who else wants to fool us again? We are ready!

A common man dat came and made life miserable for common(average) nigerians... We have been fooled! They found us gullible! Who else wants to deceive us?

This one is inexperienced, untrained and clueless

The opposition just lunch N7 billion for campaign, bunch of vipers dat will turn around to bite us from behind...*thieves*