‘Should I be 100 years old to rule Nigeria well?’, Jonathan answered Atiku

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has responded to comments by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who said he was too young to lead the country.

Atiku, who is running for president under the African Democratic Congress, recently described Jonathan as inexperienced, and said his tenure was marked by glaring missteps.

“I know Goodluck Jonathan very well. He is a good young man, but also inexperienced, and I believe that contributes to his inability to manage state affairs, especially when he is faced with challenges,” he said on Arise TV.

Reacting at the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria 2025 awards ceremony in Abuja on Monday, Jonathan acknowledged that leadership inevitably contains faults, but rejected suggestions that his age undermined his performance.

“So not long ago, a senior politician said, ‘Oh, Jonathan is too young and maybe that’s why he made a mistake.’

“If I make a mistake, well, no one who is governor or president will say you didn’t make a mistake. Even when you promote yourself to the level of a god, you become a god.

“All human beings are bound to make mistakes. I became president in 2010 at the age of 53. I left in 2015 at the age of 58, and they said I was still too young. Do I have to be 100 years old before I run state affairs?”

The former president stated that, despite his shortcomings, he made decisions he believed were in the best interests of his country. He pointed to Nigeria’s diplomatic progress during his tenure, including the country’s election to the UN Security Council.

“I was talking to diplomats, so I can say that during my tenure, I knew what I was doing to get us to appear at the UN Security Council twice… If I had been that naive, I don’t think I would have been able to go through that process,” he said.

Jonathan also spoke on regional affairs, warning that political instability remains a major obstacle to economic growth across West Africa. He emphasized that without a stable governance system, meaningful development in the sub-region will be difficult to achieve.

“We cannot progress economically if our society is so politically unstable,” he said.

Jonathan noted that although ECOWAS’ founders envisioned strong economic cooperation, persistent political crises have hindered progress, particularly in upholding democratic standards among member states.

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This means that ECOWAS has to interfere in the country’s internal affairs, and the issue of sovereignty becomes a problem, he said.

Jonathan urged leaders in the region to work together towards stability, saying, “ECOWAS heads of state must continue to work together and agree on concrete terms and ensure that the sub-region is politically stable.”

He added that economic integration efforts would fail without strong democratic institutions and called on Nigerian diplomats to properly document the foreign policy experiences of future leaders.

Paying tribute to the founders of ECOWAS, including former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, Jonathan described the formation of the bloc in 1975 as a bold and necessary step towards regional unity and economic integration.

Gowon, who was also honored at the event, recounted the origins of ECOWAS, linking its formation to post-war diplomatic engagement across West Africa.

According to him, “It is the result of the efforts made by all Nigerians as we went through a very difficult time, and I have to go to various countries to express my thanks.”

He said discussions with regional leaders at the time resulted in a shared vision for broader cooperation.

“Why don’t we also think about having something that we can at least agree on when we work together?” he said.

Gowon stressed that ECOWAS was the result of collective efforts and not individual ambitions, and credited government institutions and civil servants for its success.

“This would not be possible without the support of all levels of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Development,” he said.

He added that the recognition given to him should be shared as widely as possible.

“The honor bestowed upon me today should really go back to all the staff who worked hard to make sure this became a reality,” he said.

Also speaking, President of the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria, Joe Keshi, highlighted the importance of honoring excellence in diplomacy, noting that the award celebrates dedication and service to Nigeria and the continent.

“Diplomacy is a profession whose success is often invisible, not reflected in news coverage, but by maintaining stability, preventing conflict, fostering partnerships,” he said.

Keshi noted that the event coincided with the 50th anniversary of ECOWAS, and described the organization as a “bold experiment in regionalism,” and urged diplomats to adapt to evolving global challenges.

Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waheed Shaibu, also praised Gowon, describing him as a symbol of national unity and visionary leadership.

He said the recognition offered an opportunity to reflect on a legacy “defined by visionary leadership, courage and unwavering commitment to the unity, stability, peace and progress” of Nigeria.

Shaibu added that Gowon’s leadership reflects “patriotism, resilience and a deep sense of responsibility,” while praising ARCAN for its continued contribution to Nigeria’s diplomatic discourse and global engagement.