Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR, BNER, GCON (born 20 November 1957[1]) is the 14th Head of State and current President of Nigeria.
He was Governor of Bayelsa State from 9 December 2005 to 28 May 2007, and was sworn in as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 29 May 2007. Jonathan is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). On 13 January 2010, a federal court handed him the power to carry out state affairs while President Umaru Yar'Adua received medical treatment in a Saudi Arabian hospital. A motion from the Nigerian Senate on 9 February 2010 confirmed these powers to act as President, in recognition of his opinion. On 24 February 2010, Yar'Adua returned to Nigeria, but Jonathan continued as acting president.[2] Upon Yar'Adua's death on 5 May 2010, Jonathan succeeded to the Presidency, taking the oath of office on 6 May 2010.
Early and personal life
Jonathan was born in Otueke in Ogbia Local Government Area of the then Eastern Region, later Rivers State, now Bayelsa State to a family of canoe makers. Jonathan holds a B.Sc. degree in Zoology in which he attained Second Class Honours, Upper Division. He also holds an M.Sc. degree in Hydrobiology and Fisheries biology, and a Ph.D. degree in Zoology from the University of Port Harcourt. After obtaining his degree, he worked as an education inspector, lecturer, and environmental-protection officer, until he decided to enter politics in 1998.
Jonathan and his wife, Patience, have two children. He is a Christian from the Ijaw ethnic group.
Presidency
Former President Umaru Yar'Adua died on May 5, 2010. Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in as Yar'Adua's successor on the following day, becoming Nigeria's 14th Head of State, to serve until the next election, in 2011, at which time he could elect to run again, which he has done. Upon taking office, he cited anti-corruption, power and electoral reform as focuses of his administration. He stated that he came to office under "very sad and unusual circumstances".
On 18 May 2010, the National Assembly approved Jonathan's nomination of former Kaduna State governor, Namadi Sambo, an architect, for the position of Vice President.
On 29 June, 2010, Jonathan launched a Facebook fan-page; The president said that he launched his page in fulfillment of a promise he made earlier in the year to interact more with Nigerians.
On 2 August, 2010 Jonathan launched a comprehensive plan, called the 'Roadmap for Power Sector Reform‘,[11] aimed at restructuring the power sector and achieving stable electricity in the country. In his speech, the President identified the factors that affected reliable electricity service delivery to include the absence of a sustained and deliberately deployed long term power development strategy, under exploitation of the nation’s abundant energy endowments and the absence of adequate implementation of reforms.
2011 election
On 15 September 2010, Jonathan, in a message on his Facebook Page, said he had finally decided to run for the presidency after wide consultations with various organisations across the country. This single action of his made him the first ever sitting president to declare his re-election bid via social media.The move came under scrutiny, as it was a northern Muslim candidate's turn to run for the presidency.
On 20 December, he flagged off the national book campaign called 'Bring Back The Book', and presented his book, My Friends and I: conversations on policy and governance via Facebook to the public. He declared that the fight to bring back the book should be supported by all Nigerians, as the project provided Nigeria a sure path to technological growth. He further said that his government was encouraging a culture of catch-them-young so as to secure the future of the children.
On 14 January, President Jonathan was chosen to run for president by the People's Democratic Party during the election. He won with 77.7% of valid votes cast. On 18 April, Jonathan was declared the winner of the election. His victory was, however, followed by violence in the north over claims of vote rigging.
