The Presidency has described President Goodluck Jonathan as the most "unjustifiably maligned leader" in the country's history.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, stated this in a statement on Thursday.

Okupe was responding to a lecture delivered by the Action Congress of Nigeria's leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in London.

He said, "It is trite to observe that President Jonathan is perhaps the most unjustifiably maligned leader in the history of Nigeria with critics using their overriding influence on print and electronic media freely and in many cases unfairly to take potshots at him.

"It is common knowledge that no administration has been abused, lied against and harangued like the present administration under Jonathan."

According to him, in spite of the abuse, the Jonathan administration has not carried out any reprisal against its critics.

Okupe stated, "It is on record that despite the avalanche of criticisms and attacks in the media, journalists and their organisations have not been hounded or closed down as we witnessed in recent past."

He noted that rather than muzzle free speech, the administration had always explored the legal option in seeking redress.

According to him, the signing into law of the Freedom of Information Bill, after previous administrations attempted to stall it, was a pointer to the democratic character of the present administration.

He said unlike the various ACN governments, Jonathan administration had bowed to the wishes of Nigerians when they disagreed with certain Federal Government policies.

Okupe cited the reversal of the removal of subsidy on petroleum products; amnesty offer to terrorists and the decision to shelve the introduction of the N5,000 note as some examples of the President's magnanimity.

On the electoral system, he said Nigerians and the international community had attested to a return of sanity in the process.

This, he said, was because of reforms implemented by the Jonathan administration.

He added that no administration, since independence, had done more to address the social security problems in the country than the Jonathan leadership.

Criticising the ACN, Okupe said the party was not only undemocratic but autocratic.

He said, "For followers, local and international of Nigeria's democratic journey since 1999, there is unanimity of opinion that no administration has equalled the Jonathan administration in the observance of and respect for the hallowed principles of maintenance of rule of law, free press, sanctity of the electoral process, separation of powers and respect for public opinion.

"President Goodluck Jonathan's opening up of the democratic space through institutional reforms clearly marks him out as a comitted democrat.
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The reason GEJ is the most [size=14pt]MALIGNED [/size]leader is because he is also perhaps the most confused and [size=14pt]MISALIGNED[/size] leader we have ever had.

GEJ's convictions are only those that protect his political fortunes and he will do/say anything to that end - everything else (security of life and property, fight against corruption, etc.) be damned.

[size=14pt]He should get his priorities STRAIGHT.[/size]

False! Its Abacha.
But when did being maligned become a feature of a good and focused president?

Yes because he is from perceived minority group.

Some of us were here during the regimes of ibb,shagari and Abacha

Laalamed: Yes because he is from perceived minority group.

Here we go again with the ethnicity bullsheet.

Koruji has spoken! People like myself find it sad and remember the good will President Jonathan started with! Seen as a victim of the deliberate callous past, we all looked at GEJ as a difference, the background, the "luck", the no shoe story etc and the insults from Turai's cabal!

Yet today, most would prefer Turai in place of the lack of political will and the pandering to anything that can affect 2015 rather than doing his work!
He has made himself the easiest target on earth because rather than govern, abati and okupe and other online warriors assail even those who supported him with insults daily! And all we hear are excuses why the President can't address his duties (UN comes to mind) - very irritating stuff!

Imagine supporters saying they will buy Tinubu again in 2015? Who is better? Bribed or briber? Yet everyone else is supposedly unpatriotic yet again, you expect them to love you! And corruption has grown o much it now stands on 2 feet, walks into supermarkets to buy stuff and orders people around confidently!

Pitiable, self-serving! I need to go throw up