Goodluck Jonathan – The New Nigerian President

Mr. Goodluck Jonathan, previously the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa Stat, was sworn in on Thursday as president of Africa’s most populous nation becoming Nigeria’s 14th Head of State.

Goodluck Jonathan Picture Source: Wikipedia

Goodluck Jonathan was born in Otueke in Bayelsa State, a state in southern Nigeria in the core Niger Delta region, between Delta State and Rivers State. He completed his Zoology studies with second class honors and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology.

As CNN writes about Jonathan: “This rather obscure politician is then widely regarded by political analysts as having been hand-picked by then-President Olusegun Obasanjo to run as vice-president with Umaru Yar’Adua in the 2007 national elections.”

Some say that it was good luck and coincidence. But as everybody knows, politics are not based on luck and things like that. In the upcoming election Mr. Jonathan ghas a good change to get reelected. CNN states in that regards: “Jonathan is from the Niger Delta, and has plenty of political experience in the region after his time as governor of one most oil-rich states in the region.”

Allafrica writes about the challenges:”The challenges facing Jonathan can be grouped in two: overarching and specific challenges. Given the president’s background that he was the former vice president to Yar Adua whose economic blue print is Vision 2020, the ultimate economic goal before Jonathan is to position Nigeria as one of the top 20 economies of the world by 2020.” and continues to write about the weak governance: “The existence of weak governance across the three tiers of government has created some state of hopelessness among many Nigerians. This is further compounded by high profile level of corruption in public places, which the fight against corruption in recent times has curtailed, to some extent.”

The Former Governor of Edo State, Senator Oserheimen Osunbor, has described the swearing-in of President Goodluck Jonathan as substantive President of Nigeria as an act that will take Nigeria to the promised land as Allafrica also reported.

Nigeria’s Acting President Goodluck Jonathan is sworn in as head of state in Abuja

[picappgallerysingle id="8718368"]Nigeria’s Acting President Goodluck Jonathan (R) is sworn in as head of state at the state house in Abuja following the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua, May 6, 2010. Government ministers, state governors and ambassadors watched as Jonathan took the oath of office at the presidential villa in Abuja in a ceremony presided over by Nigeria’s chief justice. REUTERS/Handout

Vehicles travel past posters of Nigeria’s acting president Goodluck Jonathan and former military president Ibrahim Babangida in Abuja

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Vehicles travel past posters of Nigeria’s acting President Goodluck Jonathan and former military leader Ibrahim Babangida along a road in the capital Abuja April 26, 2010. Years of military rule and memories of rigged voting have left many Nigerians unimpressed with democracy as presidential election approaches. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde