Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has accused former U.S. President Barack Obama of working against his re-election bid in 2015, alleging that the American leader openly interfered in Nigeria’s democratic process through a “condescending” message to voters.
In his new book titled “My Transition Hours,” which was formally launched on Tuesday, Jonathan claimed that Obama displayed an unusual level of bias ahead of the 2015 general election by releasing a video message that indirectly urged Nigerians to vote for the opposition.
“On March 23, 2015, President Obama himself took the unusual step of releasing a video message directly to Nigerians all but telling them how to vote,” Jonathan wrote. “In that video, Obama urged Nigerians to open the ‘next chapter’ by their votes. Those who understood subliminal language deciphered that he was prodding the electorate to vote for the opposition.”
Jonathan described Obama’s tone as “overbearing and condescending,” suggesting it implied Nigerians were incapable of deciding their own political future.
According to Premium Times, which obtained an advance copy of the book, Jonathan said he kept its contents secret to prevent leaks ahead of its official unveiling in Abuja.
Jonathan, who lost the 2015 election to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, said the episode marked the first time a sitting Nigerian president would lose re-election. He became president in 2010 following the death of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and won a full term in 2011.
The former leader also revisited the controversy surrounding the six-week postponement of the 2015 polls, which were moved from February to March 28. Critics accused Jonathan of plotting to extend his tenure, but he maintained that the decision was taken collectively by former heads of state due to security concerns in the North-East.
He criticised Obama and then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for refusing to acknowledge the security challenges posed by Boko Haram insurgents at the time.
“The message was so condescending, it was as if Nigerians did not know what to do and needed an Obama to direct them,” Jonathan wrote. “Obama said all Nigerians must be able to vote without fear, yet he was reluctant to let us secure territories under Boko Haram control to ensure citizens could vote safely.”
Jonathan accused Kerry of taking sides during his visit to Nigeria ahead of the polls, saying the U.S. diplomat “did not accept our reasons for rescheduling the election” despite explanations that the move was meant to protect voters.
“How can the U.S. Secretary of State know what is more important for Nigeria than Nigeria’s own government?” Jonathan asked. “They behaved as though they had been deceived before and refused to believe our position.”
He added that both the United States and the United Kingdom, under then-Prime Minister David Cameron, mounted “intense foreign pressure” on his administration over the election postponement, a move he said revealed “deeper political interests.”
Jonathan concluded that the six-week delay ultimately allowed Nigeria to receive much-needed military equipment and reclaim territories held by Boko Haram before he handed over power on May 29, 2015.
