Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has accused former U.S. President Barack Obama of interfering in Nigeria’s 2015 general election, alleging that his actions contributed to Jonathan’s defeat.
In his soon-to-be-released memoir, My Transition Hours, Jonathan claims Obama displayed “an unusual level of bias” and a “condescending attitude” toward Nigeria’s democracy ahead of the polls. He said Obama’s actions went beyond diplomatic concern and amounted to direct meddling in Nigeria’s internal affairs.
Jonathan recalled that on March 23, 2015, just days before the election, Obama released a video message urging Nigerians to “open the next chapter” through their votes — a statement Jonathan interpreted as a subtle endorsement of the opposition. “Those who understood subliminal language deciphered that he was prodding the electorate to vote for a new government,” the former president wrote.
He further criticized the U.S. government for allegedly pressuring his administration while failing to support Nigeria’s security forces in their fight against Boko Haram insurgents before the election. “Obama’s message was so condescending, it was as if Nigerians needed an American president to tell them what to do,” Jonathan said.
The former leader also accused then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry of showing “nonchalant” disregard for his government’s decision to postpone the election amid security threats in the North-East. According to Jonathan, Washington ignored Nigeria’s sovereignty and misunderstood the urgency of tackling terrorism before holding polls.
“How could they have expected us to conduct elections when Boko Haram controlled parts of the North East and were killing Nigerians daily?” he wrote, adding that the Constitution did not permit any extension of his tenure beyond the May 29 handover date.
Jonathan, who assumed office in 2010 following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, lost the 2015 election to Muhammadu Buhari — marking the first time a sitting Nigerian president was defeated at the polls.
