President Jonathan Celebrates Five Years In Office

President Goodluck Jonathan today May 6, marked five years since he took over the mantle of the nation’s leadership.

He was sworn in on 6 May 2010 by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, after the death of late President Umaru Yar’Adua.

The nation’s constitution recommends that the Vice President automatically takes over upon the death of the President.

After completing Yar’Adua’s tenure, Jonathan contested and won the 2011 presidential election but lost his re-election bid in the 2015 election.

The President however marked the fifth anniversary of his Presidency in a low-key.

Since the day coincided with the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council, he only asked two ministers to pray according to Christian and Islamic injunctions.

That was a clear departure from the past when the second stanza of the National Anthem was always used as the opening prayers for the council meetings.

Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo, and the Minister of State for Finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, took turn to render special prayers for the President, his family and the nation.

Jonathan took council members by surprise when he arrived the Council Chambers and announced that a member was celebrating his birthday.

When members could not identify the person celebrating, the President came to their aid, saying it was the anniversary of his Presidency.

They all clapped to the admiration of Jonathan.

“Today, we will not say the national prayer. Somebody is celebrating birthday so we will offer special prayers for him. Two very Godly people will pray, Nebo and Yuguda. Do you know the person (celebrating)?” the President had asked.

“On May 6, exactly five years today, I was sworn-in as the substantive President,” he explained later.

Meanwhile, the ex-militant leader, Ebikabowei Victor Ben, aka General Boyloaf, has blasted President Jonathan for not doing enough to develop the Niger Delta region during his regime."