Bashir Yuguda, a former Minister and diplomat, says that the record of former President Goodluck Jonathan is obvious, well-documented, and impossible to change.
Yuguda said this in a statement released yesterday in Abuja. He was replying to statements made by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar that said the problems the Jonathan government was having were due to lack of experience.
The former Minister of State for Works claimed the description was wrong and that Jonathan’s climb through the levels of executive leadership had prepared him well for the presidency, according to Saturday Independent.
He said that Jonathan’s rise from deputy governor to governor, then vice president, and finally acting president offered him a lot of experience in running the government even before he became president.
“I have worked closely with President Jonathan in important areas of administration, thus I find the term “inexperience” not only wrong but also hard to understand when you look at the facts.
“Before he took the presidential oath, he had held every executive position, from deputy governor to governor to vice president to acting president when President Umaru Yar’Adua of blessed memory fell ill.”
“They weren’t just passive roles; they were defining experiences in governance at the highest levels,” he remarked.
Yuguda added that based on his time working with Jonathan, the former president’s style was more about careful thought, restraint, and consultation than drama or making decisions on the spot.
He noted that the administration often made judgments after thinking them through, and that institutions were allowed to do their jobs.
He remarked, “That method may not have satisfied those who think of leadership as a constant show, but it got results that can be checked by others.”
The former supervising minister noted that Nigeria reached important goals under Jonathan, such as becoming Africa’s largest economy, boosting investor confidence, and achieving relative stability in several important indices.
He also noted that the levels of poverty had reduced to some of the lowest levels since the country became a democracy again in 1999.
“With farming, the government changed the subject from survival to sustainability. He stated that changes in the sector made food more available and made Nigeria known around the world for making progress toward its hunger reduction goals.
Yuguda went on to talk about Jonathan’s promise to bring the rail sector back to life, especially the Zaria-Gusau-Kaura Namoda rail line, which he said had been let to rot for 26 years.
He also talked on Jonathan’s initiatives to improve people’s skills, such building 12 new federal universities and 165 Almajiri schools to make education more accessible.
Yuguda said that Jonathan’s government also made Nigeria look better to the rest of the world by hiring high-quality specialists to work for the government.
“During President Jonathan’s time in office, Nigeria’s voice was heard around the world.
“Within a short period of time, the country got two terms on the United Nations Security Council, which shows diplomatic goodwill and strategic engagement,” he said.
He also said that the ascent of previous ministers like Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, Dr. Omobola Johnson, Ms. Arunma Oteh, and Bright Okogwu around the world showed that Jonathan could put together a team of world-class technocrats.
“Because of all these things and his never-ending diplomatic trips, Jonathan has won awards and recognition around the world as a great symbol of peace and democracy, not just in Africa but around the world,” he said.
Yuguda also appreciated Jonathan’s calm demeanor, saying it helped keep things under control even when things were tough.
“That behavior was in line with the allegiance he showed to his own boss, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who is now dead.
He remarked, “Even when things were tough, he kept the dignity of that office and the sanctity of that relationship.”
He went on to say that Jonathan had kept the same spirit in retirement by visiting his successors, such President Bola Tinubu, to talk about national and sub-regional concerns.
The former Nigerian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar claimed that it would be unjust to say that Jonathan was inexperienced just because he had been in power for a long time.
He claimed that Jonathan’s most lasting impact was his respect for democratic norms. For example, he didn’t hold on to power after the 2015 elections, even though the country was suffering security problems.
“He not only made sure that elections were held even in the most dangerous areas, but he also led the way in using technology at a crucial time. He chose the path of honor, giving up power without hesitation and reinforcing the idea that the stability of the nation is more important than personal ambition.
He said, “That one choice changed Nigeria’s democratic culture in a big way.”
Yuguda claimed that Jonathan has been consistent in his behavior since leaving office. He said that Jonathan speaks carefully, respects institutions, and doesn’t make incendiary comments.
“That is why he is still in great demand for peace talks and election monitoring in and outside of Africa.
He remarked, “In a time when political talk is often heated, that restraint is not weakness; it is statesmanship.”
He stated that Nigerians would evaluate Jonathan based on facts, not claims, and that the former president is still a highly respected national and international statesman whose leadership helped protect Nigeria’s vulnerable democracy amid times of instability.
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