Former Minister and diplomat Bashir Yuguda has said that the record of former President Goodluck Jonathan remains well documented and cannot be redefined, despite attempts to reinterpret his time in office.
Yuguda made this known in a statement reacting to comments attributed to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who reportedly described the challenges faced during Jonathan’s administration as a result of inexperience.
He dismissed the claim, describing it as inaccurate and inconsistent with Jonathan’s political and administrative background.
“Having worked closely with President Jonathan across critical sectors of government, I find the label of ‘inexperience’ not only inaccurate but difficult to reconcile with the facts,” Yuguda said.
He noted that Jonathan’s political career included service as deputy governor, governor, vice-president, acting president, and later president, arguing that these roles provided extensive governance experience.
According to him, Jonathan’s leadership style was deliberate and consultative, with emphasis on institutional processes rather than dramatic or impulsive decision-making.
Yuguda said several key economic indicators recorded improvements during Jonathan’s tenure, including Nigeria’s emergence as Africa’s largest economy, increased investor confidence, and progress in poverty reduction.
He also highlighted reforms in agriculture, which he said helped shift the sector toward improved productivity and food security, as well as developments in the rail sector, including rehabilitation projects such as the Zaria–Gusau–Kaura Namoda line.
On education, he cited the establishment of federal universities and Almajiri schools aimed at expanding access to learning across the country.
Yuguda further stated that Nigeria’s international standing improved during the period, referencing the country’s presence on global platforms such as the United Nations Security Council and the international recognition of several Nigerian officials.
He praised Jonathan’s temperament, describing him as calm and steady even under political pressure, and commended his decision to concede defeat in the 2015 presidential election, which he said strengthened Nigeria’s democratic tradition.
“That decision reinforced the principle that the stability of the nation outweighs personal ambition and altered Nigeria’s democratic trajectory in a profound way,” he said.
Yuguda added that Jonathan has continued to play a role in national and regional peace efforts, maintaining a reputation as a statesman.
He noted that Nigerians would ultimately judge the former president based on facts and historical records rather than political narratives, stressing that reducing his tenure to inexperience ignores the broader context of his leadership.
