Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the former president, described the experience of losing the 2015 presidential election on Friday, stating that “it was a tough moment in my political life.”
In Abuja, Jonathan gave the speech during the 1st Raymond Dokpesi Annual Diamond Lecture, which was organized by Daar Communications Plc’s management in association with the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
The former president said that he was upset upon hearing the poll results, emphasizing that it seemed like everyone was against him.
Running on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jonathan received 12,853,162 million votes, placing him in second place behind Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), his primary opponent, who received 15,424,921 million votes to win the election.
He also described the paternal role that Aleho Chief Raymond Dokpesi, the founder chairman of Daar Communications, performed before to formally handing the reins over to Buhari.
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“Losing a presidential election is not easy,” he remarked. The world will seem to be against you.
However, Dokpesi invited me before I turned it in. He said something to me after I lost the election, and I still recall it.
Numerous senior Nigerians, or elder statesmen, addressed.
He complimented me after hearing all the discussions and urged me to see past the election. This was my way of remembering that session.
“That conversation gave me hope and aided me in my spiritual life as a private citizen, not just for the transitional period that lay ahead. You can read my book, My Transition Hours, for a more thorough explanation.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed Malaga, had earlier in his remarks praised the late Dokpesi and urged Nigerians to value the freedom of speech they currently enjoy.
Even while we continue to call for prudence in the use of this privilege, he stated, “Our respect for freedom of speech is sacrosanct.” Nigerians are free to discuss this beloved nation.
We can and will continue to prevent uncontrolled negativity from reaching a point where it becomes a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy.
If we choose to concentrate solely on what is not working and fail to balance it with equal attention to what we are getting right, we will be making a grave mistake both individually and as a group.
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Despite our current situation, we are making significant progress as a country.
Through their reporting as public opinion leaders and shepherds, the media may play a significant role in bolstering this balanced approach.
“Dokpesì, who passed away, fulfilled his role in a manner that will live on in memory forever.”
