Former President Goodluck Jonathan has issued serious criticism of the political class, saying that most politicians are not reliable and tend to be flip-floppers.
Speaking at the 70th birthday celebration for Chief Mike Aiyegbeni Oghiadomhe, Jonathan did not hold back. He stated that Nigerian politics is deceitful and there’s hardly a Nigerian politician who would stand by their word at the end of the hour.
He recounted his own experience in the 2015 election, in which his party, the PDP, was dislodged from the presidency, after 16 years of governance, as a time of tremendous disloyalty, in which many of those he had previously depended on were suddenly hostile.
He also provided a stark contrast to Oghiadomhe who was one of his steadfast aides and members of his “nucleus”. Jonathan hailed Oghiadomhe as a most dependable friend, someone “you can take his words to the bank” and he would “take a bullet for me”.
Importantly, Jonathan stressed how rare this is in political circles, being thankful that he had a reliable friend in Oghiadomhe—especially in contrast to the ever-changing nature of interpersonal political alliance and integration.
In attendance were many dignitaries, including former governors and high-ranking public servants, who all took the opportunity to celebrate the man while supporting Jonathan’s tribute to dependable friendship and loyalty.
Overall, Jonathan’s comments are noteworthy in that they reflect a larger issue of lack of trust in the political system in Nigeria as well as a critique and recognition of the need for more reliable leaders as well as embracing those very few characteristics.
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