Jonathan Has Sacrificed For Nigeria More Than Any Politician In Fourth Republic – Peter Obi

At the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation’s annual Democracy Dialogue held in Benin City, Edo State, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, paid tribute to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s sacrifices for Nigeria’s democracy.

The dialogue, themed “Functional Education and Effective Political Leadership as a Panacea to Africa’s Growth and Development,” brought together political leaders and policymakers from across the continent, including Obi and former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

In his speech, Obi lauded Jonathan’s commitment to ensuring free and fair elections during his presidency.

“In the history of this fourth Republic, no Nigerian has made the sacrifice you made for this country,” Obi stated.

“You set out to correct one single thing that this country requires: free and fair election.”

Obi also praised Jonathan’s efforts in prioritising education during his tenure by establishing new universities across the country.

“Nobody has contributed again in this Fourth Republic that I know in terms of what you did in education,” he said, stressing the role of education in driving development.

The former Anambra State governor further highlighted Nigeria’s poor rankings in human capital and the Human Development Index.

He stressed the need to invest in education to lift people out of poverty and ensure sustainable growth.

“The crisis we are facing in Nigeria today, especially in the north, are people we abandoned uneducated yesterday and think we can leave them in poverty,” he cautioned.

The Goodluck Jonathan Foundation, established in 2015 focuses on promoting democracy, peace, and transformative change across Africa.

In a related development, Jonathan commended the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, for prioritising the welfare of civil servants and providing a modern workspace through the inauguration of the Edo State Civil Service Secretariat Complex.

He also lauded Obaseki’s decision to offer automatic employment to first-class graduates, encouraging academic excellence among undergraduates.

Jonathan noted the importance of visionary leadership, stating, “To be a leader, especially a political leader, you must be somebody who has vision. If you have vision, no matter how challenging it is, you will find a way to do well.”