Former President Goodluck Jonathan has revealed how he passed through “inexplicable emotional turmoil” after losing the 2015 presidential election to former military dictator Muhammadu Buhari, saying it was the toughest period in his political life.
Speaking on Friday in Abuja at the 1st Raymond Dokpesi Annual Diamond Lecture, organised by the management of Daar Communications, in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Jonathan said he felt abandoned
“It is not easy to lose an election as a president. 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,” he said.
The former president however recalled how he got help through the fatherly role
played by the late Chairman of Darr Communications, Dr. Raymond Dokpesi, who stood by him all through his ordeal.
He said, “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.
“That communication gave me hope and helped me not necessarily for the transition hour ahead of me but also in my spiritual life as a private citizen. If you read my book, My Transition Hours, I explained it more elaborately.”
Jonathan, who ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), had statemanly conceded defeat after polling 12,853,162 million votes behind the winner Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who got 15,424,921 million votes.
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