Goodluck Jonathan

Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan

Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan is a Nigerian politician who served as president from 2010 to 2015. He is particularly associated with Nigeria's 2015 democratic transfer of power and has since undertaken election-observation, mediation and democratic-governance work in Africa.

Star Mover ranking

Not ranked in News yet

0 points

No points are shown in this support ranking yet.

Sign in to Move Up

Profile

About Goodluck Jonathan

Profile information current to 2026-08-22.

Nigeria · Politician, Former president of Nigeria

Show full profile Hide full profile

Also known as: Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
Known for: Nigerian democratic transition; Election observation in Africa; Democratic governance and peacebuilding in West Africa
Country: Nigeria

Politician
Former president of Nigeria

At a glance

Jonathan served as president of Nigeria from 6 May 2010 to 29 May 2015.
He won the 2011 presidential election as the Peoples Democratic Party candidate with 58.89 percent of the reported vote.
He conceded the 2015 presidential election to Muhammadu Buhari before Nigeria's first removal of a sitting president through the ballot box.
His post-presidential public work has included leading African Union election-observation missions in Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
He has also participated in regional mediation and public engagement concerning democratic governance, peace and information integrity.

Background and political rise

Jonathan was born on 20 November 1957 in Otuoke, Bayelsa State. ACCORD's institutional profile records university training in zoology, hydrobiology and fisheries biology-related fields. His political career advanced through service as deputy governor and then governor of Bayelsa State before his election as Nigeria's vice president in 2007. He became president on 6 May 2010 following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.

Presidency and electoral transition

As the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Jonathan won the 2011 presidential election with 22,495,187 votes, or 58.89 percent, according to the National Democratic Institute's report of the official results. After losing the 2015 election, he called Muhammadu Buhari to concede defeat. Reuters described Buhari's victory as the first time a Nigerian president had been removed through the ballot box.

Election observation in Africa

Jonathan headed the African Union Election Observation Mission for Mozambique's October 2019 presidential, legislative and provincial elections. In August 2023, he led the joint African Union-COMESA short-term observation mission for Zimbabwe's harmonised elections.

Democracy and peace engagement

Jonathan's later public activity has included participation in the West African Elders Forum's July 2025 pre-election mediation mission to Côte d'Ivoire and engagement through the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation. The foundation describes the forum's mandate as including mediation, conflict resolution, democracy promotion and governance support, while a May 2026 report attributed to Jonathan emphasized information integrity as important to democratic governance, peace and stability.

Timeline

1957-11-20 Born in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
1999 Began service as deputy governor of Bayelsa State.
2005 Became governor of Bayelsa State.
2007 Was elected vice president of Nigeria.
2010-05-06 Began his presidential term following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.
2011 Won Nigeria's presidential election as the Peoples Democratic Party candidate.
2015-03-31 Conceded the presidential election to Muhammadu Buhari before a transfer of power to the opposition.
2019-10 Headed the African Union election-observation mission for Mozambique's presidential, legislative and provincial elections.
2023-08 Led the AU-COMESA observation mission for Zimbabwe's harmonised elections.

Additional verified details

Current context

The Goodluck Jonathan Foundation's September 2025 publication identified Jonathan as its chairman and founder. This is a first-party identification and was not independently reconfirmed specifically as of 2026-08-22.
The West African Elders Forum, established by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in 2021, describes its work as including advisory activity, mediation, conflict resolution, democracy promotion and support for peace, security and governance in West Africa. This is the forum's stated mandate in first-party material and is not an independent assessment of its activity or impact.
Jonathan participated in the West African Elders Forum's 7–11 July 2025 pre-election mediation mission to Côte d'Ivoire. The mission documents post-presidential regional engagement but does not establish a continuing formal appointment after the mission.
A May 2026 report attributed to Jonathan emphasized information integrity as necessary to democratic governance, peace and national stability. The statement was delivered on Jonathan's behalf by the executive director of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation.

Biographical facts

Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was born on 20 November 1957 in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
According to ACCORD's institutional profile, Jonathan earned bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in zoology, hydrobiology and fisheries biology-related fields at the University of Port Harcourt.
Jonathan won Nigeria's 2011 presidential election as the Peoples Democratic Party candidate with 22,495,187 votes, or 58.89 percent, according to the National Democratic Institute's report of official results.
Following the 2015 presidential election, Jonathan called Muhammadu Buhari to concede defeat; Reuters reported that Buhari's victory marked the first removal of a Nigerian president through the ballot box.
Jonathan headed the African Union Election Observation Mission for Mozambique's 15 October 2019 presidential, legislative and provincial elections.
Jonathan led the joint African Union-COMESA short-term election observation mission for Zimbabwe's 23 August 2023 harmonised elections.

Connections

Affiliations

Affiliations associated with Goodluck Jonathan.

Bayelsa State Government Deputy governor 1999–2005
Bayelsa State Government Governor 2005–2007
Government of Nigeria Vice president 2007
Government of Nigeria President 2010-05-06–2015-05-29
Bayelsa State Government 1999–2005
Government of Nigeria 2007