Goodluck Jonathan

Biography

Goodluck Jonathan rose from a zoology lecturer in the Niger Delta to deputy governor, governor, vice president and finally President of Nigeria. In 2015 he became the first sitting president to concede defeat. In 2026, his possible return to the race became one of the biggest political stories of the year.

Career history

1. 1983

   He taught at the Rivers State College of Education from 1983 to 1993, then worked with the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC), the forerunner of the NDDC, on environmental protection.

2. 2005

   December 2005 — became Governor after Alamieyeseigha was impeached;

3. 2010

   February 2010 — named Acting President while Yar’Adua was ill abroad;

4. 2011

   April 2011 — elected President in his own right.

5. 2012

   The January 2012 fuel subsidy removal and the “Occupy Nigeria” protests that forced a partial reversal;

6. 2014

   Rebasing of GDP in 2014, which showed Nigeria as Africa’s largest economy;

7. 2015

   In 2015 he became the first sitting president to concede defeat.

8. 2020

   Jonathan has worked as an elder statesman: he led ECOWAS mediation in Mali in 2020, headed election observation missions for the African Union, and became Chancellor of Cavendish University in Uganda.

9. 2026

   In 2026, his possible return to the race became one of the biggest political stories of the year.

Quick facts