Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has revealed that his refusal to accept certain policies promoted by former U.S. President Barack Obama played a major role in his removal from office.
Speaking on the circumstances surrounding his defeat in the 2015 presidential election, Jonathan stated that while many saw him as a weak leader for conceding power, the real reason he was pushed out was his decision to stand by African cultural values.
According to Jonathan, Obama had approached him with a set of policies aimed at benefiting Nigeria and Africa, many of which aligned with his administration’s vision for economic diversification. His government was already working to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on petroleum by investing in agriculture and technology to position the country as a global economic force.
However, there was one policy he refused to endorse—the legalization of what he described as the “Agege laws,” referring to same-sex relationships. Jonathan explained that the policy clashed with Nigeria’s cultural and moral beliefs, and as a leader deeply rooted in African traditions, he could not impose it on his people.’
To gain further perspective, he sought advice from Zimbabwe’s late President Robert Mugabe, who cryptically warned, “A man who submits his shitting point has lost credibility to sit in the council of men.” Jonathan also consulted Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who dismissed the idea with laughter, jokingly asking, “Ebele, do you want to see your countrymen in diapers?”
With his decision firm, Jonathan informed Obama that he would not implement the policy in Nigeria. In response, Obama reportedly smiled and said, “The West will take care of you.”
From that moment, Jonathan claimed, a coordinated effort began to ensure his removal from power—not because he was weak, but because he refused to compromise the cultural and moral identity of Nigerians.
