Jonathan's 2015 sacrifice saved Nigeria's democracy, says Labour Party chair

Nigeria's democracy owes its survival in the 2015 elections to the "sacrifice" of former President Goodluck Jonathan, according to Labour Party Chairman Nenadi Usman.

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Nigeria’s democracy survived the doomsday predictions of bookmakers in 2015 because of President Jonathan’s concession of defeat in that year’s election, even before the final votes were tallied.

Usman stated that Jonathan's decision to concede defeat before the final results were announced averted dire predictions for the country's democratic future. She described his gesture as unprecedented in Nigerian political history, highlighting his consistent stance that no political office was worth the bloodshed of any Nigerian.

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Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue in Bauchi, Usman urged politicians aspiring for the presidency in 2027 to emulate Jonathan's principled approach. She questioned whether current hopefuls would make similar sacrifices amid what she called "inflammatory rhetoric" from various political camps.

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The democracy Nigerians practise today has survived till this day because Jonathan made sacrifices in the past.

Usman also positioned the Labour Party as the most organized opposition platform in Nigeria, bolstered by the support of the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress. She encouraged other opposition parties to consider merging their structures into the Labour Party to effectively challenge the ruling APC government.

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The Labour Party is the most structured political party in Nigeria going into the next general elections.