Why Jonathan visited Tinubu 24 hours after Supreme Court judgement

Former President Goodluck Jonathan Pays Presidential Villa Visit to Congratulate President Bola Tinubu on Supreme Court Victory

In a significant gesture of statesmanship and unity, former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan paid a visit to the Presidential Villa on Friday to extend his congratulations to President Bola Tinubu. The visit came on the heels of the recent Supreme Court judgment that affirmed President Tinubu’s election victory.

The Supreme Court’s dismissal of appeals filed by Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) in the last 24 hours had solidified President Tinubu’s position. Behind closed doors, Jonathan felicitated with President Tinubu and used the opportunity to emphasize the importance of past Presidents coming together to devise solutions that would uplift the masses from poverty.

Jonathan emphasized the urgency for Nigeria to lead the African continent through its myriad challenges, saying, “We need to bring all our political leaders, including all our former Presidents, together. If top leaders continue to fight, they will not suffer as much, but the downtrodden will. We want to end that tension so we can move forward. Elections are over, and so we must move forward.”

Jonathan also underscored the need for Nigeria to assert its leadership on the African stage, despite current economic challenges. He pointed out that Nigeria has the potential to lead Africa and cited the support for this idea from African voices, including Prof. Lumumba. These discussions will be ongoing between him and President Tinubu, focusing on various foreign programs aimed at regional and continental development.

Addressing the economic concerns in the country, Jonathan expressed confidence that Nigerians would overcome the challenges with the government’s support. He stressed that these conversations and visits were in line with the tradition of former Presidents briefing the incumbent President after attending continental, regional, and international events. Jonathan’s visit exemplified the commitment to moving Nigeria, ECOWAS, and the African continent forward.