Jonathan reflects on 2015 election loss, calls it most challenging political moment

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has described his defeat in the 2015 presidential election as one of the toughest periods in his political career.

Speaking on Friday at the inaugural Raymond Dokpesi Annual Diamond Lecture—an event organized by Daar Communications in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations—Jonathan shared the emotional toll he experienced after losing the election to Muhammadu Buhari.

Jonathan, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lost to Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a historic election. Buhari garnered 15,424,921 votes, surpassing Jonathan’s 12,853,162, marking the first time in Nigeria’s history that an incumbent president was unseated in a re-election bid.

Reflecting on that moment, Jonathan recounted how he felt like the world had turned against him. With a reflective smile, he admitted that the pain of losing was difficult to express. However, amid the uncertainty and emotional struggle, the former president found solace in a conversation with media mogul Raymond Dokpesi, Chairman of Daar Communications.

“It is not easy to lose an election as a president,” Jonathan remarked. “You will think the whole world is against you. But then, Dokpesi invited me before I handed over. I remember what he said to me when I lost the election.”

Jonathan explained that although several senior Nigerian statesmen reached out to him during that period, it was Dokpesi’s message that resonated deeply. Dokpesi’s words of encouragement, urging him to look beyond theb loss and focus on the future, left a lasting impact on the former president.

“There were so many senior Nigerians (elder statesmen) who spoke. After I listened to all the conversations, he congratulated me and encouraged me to look beyond the election. This is how I commemorated that session,” Jonathan noted.

He went on to highlight how that conversation not only helped him transition to private life but also aided his spiritual journey. Jonathan mentioned that he elaborated on this transformative experience in his book, My Transition Hours.