T Presiden k Goodluc Jonathan Ebele

Born on November 20, 1957, never did President Goodluck Jonathan ever fathom that he would rise to the highest office in the land- the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a position which he is currently in the race to retain. His is the classic underdog story of success, filled equally with pages of hard work and interventions of that unseen sleight hand, we all refer to as Fate. His rise to the upper echelons started perhaps tellingly, in education. From his days as a youth, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan clearly had a strong belief in educational empowerment which he pursued fervently. He obtained his West African School Certificate which he passed with a distinction. In 1977, he secured admission into the Department of Zoology in University of Port Harcourt. After a studious tenure there, he bagged a Bachelor of Science degree in 1981, graduating with a Second Class Honours (Upper Division). Given his dogged quest for knowledge, he propelled himself to obtain a Master’s degree in Hydro-Biology and Fisheries Biology in 1985. After several years of working experience in various companies and institutions, he went further to bag his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Zoology from the University of Port Harcourt. After dedicating all of his early years to academia, he then sought to bring this illumination to governance, diving headfirst into the famously murky waters of Nigerian politics and pitching his tent with the ruling party, the People’s Democratic Party in 1998. Humble, assuming and a committed man of letters, he was not, at the time, the textbook Nigerian politician. However, just one year after his entrance into the game of politics, he emerged as the running mate to the party’s gubernatorial candidate, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, for the office of Governor of Bayelsa State, in 1999. His party won and he was sworn in as the Deputy Governor of the state. In 2005, Fate waved its wand over President Jonathan when his superior the Governor Alamieyeseigha vacated his office and he had to step into the now empty shoes. Between 2005-2007, President Jonathan proved his mettle once more, in his home state resulting in his selection by his party as the running mate to the Late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua for the 2007 Presidential elections. In 2010, upon the deteriorating health of President Umar Musa Yar’Adua, President Jonathan was sworn in as acting President, and upon his death, President, a position he occupies till today. Throughout his relatively brief yet illustrious political career, while fate may have played a role in bringing President Jonathan to this point, it is his enduring qualities that have sustained him. A bridge builder, an advocate for peace and a firm believer in putting the work first and the politics second, his achievements have displayed the hallmark of a man who carries a vision that many may not necessarily see today, but is a promising seed for a better tomorrow. He spent a riveting afternoon with STYLE EDITOR, Ruth Osime and opened up on what has given him the strength, confidence and wisdom to carry the mantle of his weighty role and is determined to show Nigeria that there is still more work for him to do in building a legacy that will not be forgotten. These invaluable few hours spent revealed the warmth to a man who is just as human as the rest of us. A man willing to give, to provide for and to uplift the citizens of our beloved Nigeria…

Photographed by

ty bello