Former President Goodluck Jonathan, on Friday, opened up about his experience losing the 2015 presidential election, describing it as one of the toughest moments of his political career. The ex-president admitted to feeling a wave of emotions upon learning the result, remarking that it felt as though the entire world was against him.
Jonathan shared these reflections during the 1st Raymond Dokpesi Annual Diamond Lecture held in Abuja, an event organized by the management of Daar Communications in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations. Running on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Jonathan faced a historic defeat as incumbent, losing to Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress. Buhari received 15,424,921 votes, surpassing Jonathan’s 12,853,162 votes, marking the first time in Nigerian history that a sitting president was unseated.
With a resilient smile, Jonathan addressed the audience, candidly describing the emotional toll he endured, which he found difficult to fully articulate. He also spoke of the role Raymond Dokpesi, Chairman of Daar Communications, played in guiding him through the transition. Dokpesi’s counsel, Jonathan recalled, gave him hope and helped him gain perspective. “It is not easy to lose an election as a president. You will think the whole world is against you. But then, Dokpesi invited me before I handed over. I remember what he said to me when I lost the election,” Jonathan recounted. Dokpesi congratulated him and encouraged him to look beyond the loss, offering guidance that Jonathan has since reflected upon, especially in his book, *My Transition Hours*, where he details this experience further.
In a related speech, the Minister of Information, Idris Mohammed, called on Nigerians to exercise freedom of speech with responsibility. Mohammed praised Dokpesi as a patriot and a media visionary whose influence on nation-building is a legacy for others to follow. “Our respect for freedom of speech is sacrosanct even as we continue to urge responsibility in the exercise of this freedom. Nigerians are free to speak about this dear country of ours. What we can and will continue to do is to avoid getting to the point where reckless negativity becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts,” he said. Mohammed stressed the need for balance, highlighting that while challenges exist, significant progress is being made in the nation.
Mohammed also urged the media to adopt a balanced approach in their reporting, recognizing their role as influencers of public opinion.
