Atiku Abubakar called former President Goodluck Jonathan a “decent” but “inexperienced” leader. Jonathan has responded to these comments.
Atiku, a leader in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said this during an interview on Arise TV. He said that some of the problems that happened during Jonathan’s presidency were because he wasn’t properly prepared to lead.
Jonathan didn’t directly name Atiku when he spoke at the 2025 Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria (ARCAN) awards ceremony in Abuja on Monday, but he did address the criticism.
He said, “Not too long ago, a very important politician said that Jonathan was too young and that’s why he made mistakes.”
“If I made mistakes, yes, no one who becomes a governor or president will say they didn’t make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes.
“Do I have to be 100 years old to run the state?”
“I don’t think I could have gotten through that process if I were that naive.”
Jonathan took over as President of Nigeria after the death of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, the country’s previous president.
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