Former President Goodluck Jonathan meets Tinubu, encourages unity among political leaders

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Nigeria’s former president, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has called on political leaders, especially former presidents and governors in the country to come together and ensure that the citizens do not suffer while reminding them that elections are over.

The former President made the call when he paid a visit to the nations’ incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the state house in Abuja on Friday for a closed-door meeting.

L-R President Bola Tinubu and former President Goodluck Jonathan during a closed-door meeting at the State House in Abuja | Val9ja News

According to former president Jonathan, “We need to bring all our political leaders, including all our former Presidents together, we should not be fighting. If top leaders continue fighting, they will not suffer that much, but the Downtrodden will suffer and we want to end that tension, so we move forward. Elections are over and so we must move forward.”

He also affirmed that the ability of Nigeria to lead the African continent is consensus and has been unanimously agreed among African countries.

The ex-president noted: “That is what all Africans are saying, I had a program on democracy dialogue and Prof Lumumba spoke there, he emphasized the need for Nigeria to take a lead in Africa. Yes, we have challenges economically now but we still have what it takes to lead Africa.

Speaking of his active role in peace and diplomacy in West Africa and across the continent, the former President said he has been actively involved in regional dialogues, with plans to visit Kenya and Liberia in the coming days.

He said: “I have been involved in a number of things in West Africa and Africa. In fact, tomorrow (Saturday), I will be in Kenya and on the 14th of November I will be in Liberia, so I am like a roving Ambassador seeing how we can bring peace to the subregion and the continent.

“My visit would have taken place since last week, but it couldn’t hold but today it has now coincided with the judgement of the Supreme Court of yesterday (Thursday). So, it is an opportunity for me to also congratulate Mr President.

“These are some of the issues I will continue to have conversations with Mr President, including briefing him on all my foreign programmes. They are not personal issues, traditionally, former presidents when they go outside the country for continental or regional programmes, and even some international. When you come home, you brief the president that is the tradition.

“When you see me here, what we come to do, to move Nigeria forward and to move ECOWAS forward and to move African continent forward.” he added.

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015. during his administration, he was said to have been actively involved in efforts to address the socio-political crisis in Mali, working to facilitate dialogue among the key stakeholders in the West African nation faced with political instability and social unrest.

However, it was not the first time Tinubu and Jonathan have met since the former became Nigeria’s president on May 29, 2023.

Prior meetings took place on June 13 and July 18, where discussions were said to have centered on the Mali crisis and national concerns and strategies to move Nigeria forward.