A rare breed of leadership the Goodluck Jonathan story

We live in a world where a lot of people will do whatever it takes to sit in leadership positions, even as far as making human sacrifices just to get on the seat of power.

Public sector positions such as the position of president are very competitive because while some are just trying to get there for the incentives attached to the position and siphon money for themselves, others truly carry the burden of the people at heart.

Nigeria as a nation has seen many presidents assume the position of power, and while some have good reputations, others have a bad name and record in the hearts of many Nigerians.

One of the presidents that have ruled this nation that I can't forget in a hurry is the person of Goodluck Jonathan.

He ran as the vice president alongside Ahmed Musa Yar'Adua in 2007, but during the second tenure of his leadership, he fell critically ill and eventually died, which led to the emergence of a new president in the person of Goodluck Jonathan.

His tenure saw a lot of infrastructural projects begin, like the railway from Abuja to Kaduna, alongside other projects from education to agriculture, electricity, and other areas, which brought about economic stability.

He was the first president to emerge from the South, and that for me was exceptional for the fact that the zoning of presidential power has majorly been enjoyed by northerners and those from the Southwest.

Goodluck Jonathan goes down in the history of Nigeria as the first incumbent presidential candidate that will lose an election when he had the power to fight against it, and that particularly stood out for me.

In Africa we have seen presidents and leaders who have ruled for more than 8 years and are not even willing to step down for another to carry the mantle of leadership.

His humility and sincerity in leadership, even to the point of calling the elected president to send him a congratulatory message, sent a message to the world that not everyone is power thirsty.

Some other people would have gone the extra mile of causing election violence, stealing ballot boxes, and other schemes just to make sure they won, but Goodluck Jonathan showed the world that good leaders still do exist in the world.

Because of his personality, his party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), was willing to let him run for presidency, but again, he showed that it is better to leave the stage when the ovation is loudest.

Good luck, Jonathan, for this is my definition of a true good leader.

Thank you for stopping by.