Goodluck Jonathan: How He Is Selling His Candidacy

Jonathan, Goodluck, New African

Nigerians are getting ready for elections in April 2011. While some recent election results in West Africa have produced upsets and been problematic, for example in Cote d'lvoire and Guinea, Nigeria's elections are being viewed with higher expectations this time, given the entry into the presidential primaries of the ruling PDP by President Goodluck Jonathan, who is seeking the job on his own merit for the first time.

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Goodluck Ebele Jonathan's ascent to Nigeria's presidency was not planned. On the night of 5 May 2010 President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua died after several months on his sick bed. By the following morning, at a solemn ceremony in the Council Chambers of the Abuja Presidential Villa, GEJ (as Jonathan is now affectionately known by his supporters) was sworn in as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, stepping into the shoes of "not just a boss but a good friend and brother". President Jonathan moved to stabilise his government by nominating former governor of the north-western state of Kaduna, Arc. Namadi Mohammed Sambo as the vice-president, and reshuffling the Federal Executive Council.

In his speech on assuming office, he stated his total commitment to "good governance, electoral reform and the fight against corruption". He pledged that his government would establish a strong foundation on which to build a sustainable future for Nigerians through his commitment to credible elections, power generation and distribution, the fight against corruption and overcoming the challenges to security for Nigeria as a whole and the Niger Delta in particular.

He also acknowledged the deficiencies in providing clean water, health care and an improved business environment and promised to overcome them. The ultimate goal, he said, was to create jobs and empower the people.

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President Goodluck Jonathan became the first Nigerian leader to master the art of using the social/interactive media to communicate with the citizens. And in keeping with this image of a moderniser he created a profile on …

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Publication information: Article title: Goodluck Jonathan: How He Is Selling His Candidacy. Contributors: Jonathan, Goodluck - Author. Magazine title: New African. Issue: 502 Publication date: January 2011. Page number: 35+. © 2005 IC Publications Ltd. COPYRIGHT 2011 Gale Group.

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