Emulate Jonathan’s non-violent principles — LP Chairman urges Politicians

By Precious Mark

The National Chairman of the Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman, has urged Nigerian politicians to emulate the non-violent political principles of former President Goodluck Jonathan, asserting that the nation’s democratic governance survived past the 2015 elections due to his selflessness.

In a statement released on Tuesday after speaking to journalists in Bauchi on the sidelines of the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue, the Labour Party National Chairman argued that Nigeria defied doomsday predictions in 2015 because President Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat even before the final vote tally was completed.

The former Minister of Finance emphasized that such a principled and selfless approach to political power was unprecedented in the nation’s political history.

She noted that former President Jonathan consistently upheld his core principle that no personal political ambition or electoral victory was worth the blood of any Nigerian citizen, proving his commitment to peace when his resolve was tested at a critical moment in the country’s democratic journey.

“The democracy Nigerians practise today has survived till this day because Jonathan made sacrifices in the past,” Usman stated, questioning whether any of the current presidential candidates vying for office ahead of the 2027 general elections would be capable of making similar sacrifices for national stability, given the alarming rise in inflammatory political rhetoric across party lines.

Imploring today’s politicians to play strictly according to the rules of engagement, she cited the timeless wisdom of Warren Buffett that someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago, urging political actors to prioritize long-term democratic preservation over short-term power struggles.

Turning to the Labour Party’s operational readiness ahead of the upcoming electoral cycle, Usman declared the party as the most structured political entity in Nigeria.

She explained that with the statutory backing and combined organizational strength of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC); both of which are constitutionally affiliated members—no opposition party is better positioned to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

She further called on all opposition groups and political leaders seeking alliances to collapse their structures into the Labour Party, describing it as the only opposition platform with a functioning, realistic presence across all 186,000 polling units nationwide.