Former President Goodluck Jonathan has defended his tenure, insisting that he did his best while in office despite criticisms from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Jonathan’s response followed remarks by Atiku during an interview on Prime Time on Arise Television, where the latter described the former President as inexperienced and blamed it for shortcomings during his administration.
Atiku, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, had said Jonathan’s alleged inexperience affected his handling of national challenges while in power.
“I know Goodluck Jonathan very well. He is a decent young man, but also inexperienced, and I believe that contributed to his inability to manage the affairs of the country,” Atiku said.
Responding on Monday at the 2025 Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria awards in Abuja, Jonathan said no leader could claim to have governed without making mistakes.
He noted that he assumed office as President in 2010 at the age of 53 and left in 2015 at 58, questioning claims that he was too young to lead.
“If I made mistakes, yes, no one who becomes a governor or president will say they did not make mistakes. All human beings make mistakes,” he said.
The former President maintained that while errors are inevitable in leadership, he made sincere efforts to steer the country during his time in office.
Jonathan also highlighted Nigeria’s diplomatic strides under his administration, citing the country’s election into the United Nations Security Council as a notable achievement.
“If I were that naive, I don’t think we would have navigated our way to the UN Security Council twice,” he said.
Speaking on regional issues, Jonathan stressed that political stability remains crucial for economic development in West Africa, warning that persistent instability would continue to hinder growth.
He noted that although the Economic Community of West African States was founded to promote economic cooperation, political crises in member states had undermined its progress.
“We cannot make economic progress if our societies are politically unstable,” he said.
Jonathan urged leaders in the sub-region to work collectively towards strengthening democratic institutions and ensuring stability, noting that the challenge of balancing sovereignty with regional intervention often complicates efforts.
He also called on Nigerian diplomats to properly document the country’s foreign policy experiences to guide future administrations.
At the event, former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, commended the vision behind the establishment of ECOWAS in 1975, describing it as a collective effort aimed at fostering regional integration.
Gowon said the initiative was borne out of diplomatic engagements with neighbouring countries after Nigeria’s civil war, adding that it reflected a shared aspiration for cooperation across West Africa.
He emphasised that the success of the regional bloc was driven by contributions from government institutions and civil servants.
Also speaking, President of the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria, Joe Keshi, said the awards were aimed at recognising excellence and lifelong service in diplomacy, noting that the impact of diplomatic efforts is often seen in sustained peace and cooperation rather than public attention.
