Capitol siege: It’s better to lose power to gain peace, Jonathan advises Trump

Former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan has waded into escalating civil unrest in the United States, as outgoing U.S. leader Donald Trump has voiced his unpreparedness to relinquish power to President-elect Joe Biden.
Mr. Trump has spent weeks railing against purported claims of being rigged out of a win in the November election, while continually exhibiting an uncooperative stance towards the Biden-Harris Transition Team.
Hours after riling up supporters, who he encouraged to march to the Capitol — meeting place of the U.S. Congress, hundreds of demonstrators Wednesday breached security and scaled the steps of the building where federal lawmakers were due to certify Mr. Biden’s victory at the poll.
Reacting to the violent desecration of the United States’ parliament, the former Nigerian leader had in a veiled reference to the U.S. president, advised against sacrificing public peace for the lust for power.
“I have repeatedly said nobody’s political ambition is worth the blood of any citizen, in any part of the world,” former president Jonathan wrote in a Facebook post Thursday morning. “Absolutely nobody. Again, I reiterate that it is better to lose power at the cost of gaining peace than to gain power at the price of losing the peace.”
He added that “as a leader, one must not just look unto one’s own interest, but the interest and the good of society. It is never too late to reject the venom and inject the serum of peace.”
Mr. Jonathan, who lost his reelection bid in 2015 to President Muhammadu Buhari, had swiftly conceded the election and congratulated his opponent before the final results were announced by Nigeria’s electoral body INEC.
The historic move by the ex-president has been globally applauded, with many asserting that his unprecedented concession to defeat had averted looming crises and potential loss of lives.
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette

Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices

Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”

Heading 2
Kano empowers 1,900 butchers, to establish cottage industry hubs
He said the government had already made provision for the establishment of the hubs in the 2026 budget.

Heading 3
2027 Elections: Police commence recovery of illegal arms nationwide
Mr Kokumo said the centre had destroyed more than 16,000 unserviceable weapons since its inception.

Heading 5
Court restrains FRSC from operating on Kano township roads
Mr Hikima sued the commission for unnecessarily stopping, searching and questioning him and other motorists.

Heading 5
White House teleprompter operator rakes in over $100,000 betting on Trump’s speeches: Report
Investigators discovered Mr Perez placed bets on more than a dozen of Mr Trump’s speeches over a three-month period.

Hot news Home top
Kidnapped Kogi school principal, NECO official, students regain freedom
Gunmen, on Tuesday, abducted a principal, NECO official and students during exam in Kogi school.






