Goodluck Jonathan has earned the dubious distinction of being the first president in Nigerian history to lose an election. In many ways, Jonathan was the architect of his own downfall. He made critical mistakes that turned the public and allies against him, and led them to gravitate towards the opposition. Here’s where it all went wrong:

1. Don’t cross the boss

When Nigeria emerged from 15 years of military rule in 1999, Jonathan’s Peoples Democratic party (PDP) was formed by wealthy retired generals to inherit power from the military. One of the godfathers was General Olusegun Obasanjo, who has governed Nigeria twice (between 1976-1979 and 1999-2007). Jonathan made the mistake of alienating Obasanjo; leading the general to write a public 18-page letter containing lacerating criticism of the president in December 2013. A party member likened Obasanjo’s hectoring of Jonathan to a father’s disappointment with his son.

Getting on the wrong side of Obasanjo is the political equivalent of crossing a mafia don
Rather than make peace with the 77-year-old, Jonathan’s office retaliated.

Getting on the wrong side of Obasanjo is the political equivalent of crossing a mafia don. You will pay. Obasanjo’s attacks on Jonathan intensified. In February, an irate Obasanjo quit the PDP and dramatically ripped up his party membership card on television.

Jonathan was naïve to think he could remain president without the support of PDP godfathers like Obasanjo. Although Nigeria is no longer under military rule, many retired millionaire generals call the shots from behind the scenes.

2. Playing fair
Previous Nigerian presidents were too cynical to expose themselves to the unpredictable risk of a fair election. The election victories of PDP presidents during the past 16 years have been partially “assisted” by electoral malpractice. That changed when Jonathan nominated Professor Attahiru Jega as the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) in 2010. Jega vowed to reform Nigeria’s electoral process to ensure free and fair elections.

The former university lecturer exuded calm authority and integrity. He has painstakingly prepared for the task over the past four years by studying the rigging methods used in previous elections, implementing an elaborate system of voter registration, training thousands of electoral staff, and introducing biometric readers to identify voters by reading their thumbprint.

Jonathan created the environment for the emergence of these changes and gave Jega the freedom and authority to conduct reforms that led to a credible election. But by giving Jega a free hand to play fair, he allowed Jega to craft the weapons that were used to oust him from power.

3. Boko Haram and the Chibok kidnaps

Jonathan’s relations with party members at times resembled a football coach antagonising his star players
When Boko Haram kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok in northern Nigeria, Jonathan failed to realise how much this would capture the public’s attention, both locally and internationally. His failure to speak about the kidnap for several weeks made him appear uncaring. These shortcomings were exacerbated by the behaviour of his wife, Patience, when she met the mothers of the kidnapped girls. Her ostentatious display and over-the-top emotions were mercilessly parodied.

Jonathan’s perceived casual indifference to the suffering of his people was compounded when he was photographed celebrating his niece’s lavish wedding just a few days after Boko Haram had killed 2,000 people in the town of Baga.

4. Bad management

Jonathan’s relations with party members at times resembled a football coach antagonising his star players into leaving for rival teams. His tendency to fall out with colleagues simultaneously weakened his party and strengthened the opposition. He quarrelled with one after another; leading several of them to leave the party in frustration and join the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). The alliance between these and the opposition shoved Jonathan out of power.

5. Corruption and cronyism
Nigerians refer to their country’s resources as the “national cake” which must be shared by its citizens. There was a perception that Jonathan gave slices of the cake largely to members of his own community. Many powerful members of his government were from Jonathan’s region in the deep south of the country. Even Jonathan’s wife was appointed as a senior civil servant in his home state of Bayelsa.

There was a perception that Jonathan gave slices of the cake largely to members of his own community
Under Jonathan’s presidency many militant leaders from the oil producing Niger Delta area in the south have become very rich from government patronage and contracts. Some of them have been awarded security contracts to guard the oil installations they once protested against and attacked.

Jonathan has also pardoned a former ally accused of fraud and money laundering, increasing the cloud of suspicion hanging over his government.

These events caused deep resentment in other parts of Nigeria and created the impression that Jonathan ran a government that benefits those from his part of the country, the south, but not many others.

Jonathan even managed to get into a public feud with the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the respected Sanusi Lamido Sanusi. In February 2014 Sanusi alleged that $20bn of Nigerian oil revenue was unaccounted for. Rather than investigating the claims Jonathan fired Sanusi for his impertinence at publicly hinting of government fraud.

Buhari’s victory is historic and unprecedented. However Jonathan was responsible almost as much as Buhari was.

I think 2, 3, 4, and 5 nailed it. Crossing the boss in my opinion shouldn't be seen as a reason why he lost the election.

Corruption
Nepotism and impunity
Tribalism
Lack of jobs, which made more people have time for election.
Hunger in the land

I like this old troll .

cramjones:
Goodluck Jonathan has earned the dubious distinction of being the first president in Nigerian history to lose an election. In many ways, Jonathan was the architect of his own downfall. He made critical mistakes that turned the public and allies against him, and led them to gravitate towards the opposition. Here’s where it all went wrong:

1. Don’t cross the boss

When Nigeria emerged from 15 years of military rule in 1999, Jonathan’s Peoples Democratic party (PDP) was formed by wealthy retired generals to inherit power from the military. One of the godfathers was General Olusegun Obasanjo, who has governed Nigeria twice (between 1976-1979 and 1999-2007). Jonathan made the mistake of alienating Obasanjo; leading the general to write a public 18-page letter containing lacerating criticism of the president in December 2013. A party member likened Obasanjo’s hectoring of Jonathan to a father’s disappointment with his son.

Getting on the wrong side of Obasanjo is the political equivalent of crossing a mafia don
Rather than make peace with the 77-year-old, Jonathan’s office retaliated.

Getting on the wrong side of Obasanjo is the political equivalent of crossing a mafia don. You will pay. Obasanjo’s attacks on Jonathan intensified. In February, an irate Obasanjo quit the PDP and dramatically ripped up his party membership card on television.

Jonathan was naïve to think he could remain president without the support of PDP godfathers like Obasanjo. Although Nigeria is no longer under military rule, many retired millionaire generals call the shots from behind the scenes.

2. Playing fair
Previous Nigerian presidents were too cynical to expose themselves to the unpredictable risk of a fair election. The election victories of PDP presidents during the past 16 years have been partially “assisted” by electoral malpractice. That changed when Jonathan nominated Professor Attahiru Jega as the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) in 2010. Jega vowed to reform Nigeria’s electoral process to ensure free and fair elections.

The former university lecturer exuded calm authority and integrity. He has painstakingly prepared for the task over the past four years by studying the rigging methods used in previous elections, implementing an elaborate system of voter registration, training thousands of electoral staff, and introducing biometric readers to identify voters by reading their thumbprint.

Jonathan created the environment for the emergence of these changes and gave Jega the freedom and authority to conduct reforms that led to a credible election. But by giving Jega a free hand to play fair, he allowed Jega to craft the weapons that were used to oust him from power.

3. Boko Haram and the Chibok kidnaps

Jonathan’s relations with party members at times resembled a football coach antagonising his star players
When Boko Haram kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok in northern Nigeria, Jonathan failed to realise how much this would capture the public’s attention, both locally and internationally. His failure to speak about the kidnap for several weeks made him appear uncaring. These shortcomings were exacerbated by the behaviour of his wife, Patience, when she met the mothers of the kidnapped girls. Her ostentatious display and over-the-top emotions were mercilessly parodied.

Jonathan’s perceived casual indifference to the suffering of his people was compounded when he was photographed celebrating his niece’s lavish wedding just a few days after Boko Haram had killed 2,000 people in the town of Baga.

4. Bad management

Jonathan’s relations with party members at times resembled a football coach antagonising his star players into leaving for rival teams. His tendency to fall

All thanks to gej the hero of our time who in all honesty and humilty chose not to rig the election as it was been done by OBJ and tinubu so that nigeria will not divide. Yet the gworo chewing master and their perpetual slaves still voted him out. Cramjones ur gurlfriend berem has deactivated her account what about you old troll

Very very good point! They nailed it.

Ok

uhmnn

From wat i read, i think Jonathan is the architect of his own destruction, Guess he was out of luck dis time

Pls stop heating the polity,we have heard and ave accepted defeat,Any other thing?

I think in summary, GEJ is a good man surrounded with wicked and clueless advisers. GEJ really meant good for Nigeria, but the problem is his cabinets and his wife. They are always taking advantage of GEJ's calm nature

Confirmed
The vice president and mama peace were also opposition to Jonathan.
VP--No contribution
Mama peace--negative contribution

This is largely untrue,
In fact, most people in the South feel Jonathan sidelined his Geo political zone in appointments and projects. A fact GEJ himself confirmed at his rally in Port Harcourt.
Chibuike Amaechi's campaign for Buhari in the SS states often contained a variation of the following statement: "He's our brother but what has he done for us?"

There was a perception that Jonathan gave slices of the cake largely to members of his own community.

yolo


nice write up..

attahiru jegaed goodluck

Ok

Redoil:
All thanks to gej the hero of our time who in all honesty and humilty chose not to rig the election as it was been done by OBJ and tinubu so that nigeria will not divide. Yet the gworo chewing master and their perpetual slaves still voted him out. Cramjones ur gurlfriend berem has deactivated her account what about you old troll

Berem deactivated her account now that APC won Presidential election? Something really really fishy's going on

Cool... But God bless our new president

UK should mind dere business and stop stressing up wat we already knew..... Nigerian says d wan change in power if GEJ like let obama, putin support him he will still lose.

GEJ lost simply bcoz the muslims wanted "one of their own" and not bcoz of all that hogwash.

GEJ did pretty well in all areas given the circumstance.

His Wife should be included

Nigerians ain't just satisfied with what he is doing, nothing more nothing less.

Bifwoli:
GEJ lost simply bcoz the muslims wanted "one of their own" and not bcoz of all that hogwash.
GEJ did pretty well in all areas given the circumstance.

Exacto



LOL, The UK folks, always doing the obvious propaganda so quickly. They blame GEJ for alienating "the boss" but later state that the "boss" was complicit in rigging of elections and how Jega was brought, but ultimately stabbed GEJ like Brutus did caesar lol


That was good

Fair enough he allowed free electoral process, i will be happy if other leaders will follow his way on that so that Nigerians will always be the one to decide not rigging

Return GEJs dollars o

.

Thanks to Pa Clark,FFK,FAYOSE,Mama FAKA,APA-IBO,Gani OPC,OKU-Igbe,Sambo and all thieves for making it possible

Jonathan lost because he failed in all regards. And then instead of accepting failure in some instances and pledging to ensure he works things out in a better fashion, he always rather shift blames or outrightly ignore his failures. Or worse of all, send those headless sycophants he unwittingly surrounded himself with to insult the living daylights out of anyone who dared to criticise him or point out those failures.

He was at odds with the Nigerian people and the elite who put him there. No leader survives such odds.