Former President Goodluck Jonathan has stated that he holds no grudges against anyone over past political actions or personal attacks directed at him.
The former Nigerian leader stressed that forgiveness and reconciliation are indispensable for Nigeria’s unity and progress.
Jonathan made the remarks on Wednesday evening in Abuja during a requiem mass in honour of the late former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh.
According to a statement issued by his spokesperson, Ikechukwu Eze, the former president described the late Ogbeh as a humble and forgiving individual who never held on to resentment, just like his attitude to life.
“Chief Ogbeh was a man who did not seek revenge. He believed the past should be left behind and that we must keep moving forward.
“In that sense, he was just like me. If you hurt me today, I will forgive you. I don’t carry grudges against anybody. I believe the past is past, and I move on,” Jonathan said.
Recalling how their friendship began, Jonathan said his relationship with Ogbeh stretched back to his days as deputy governor of Bayelsa State, when Ogbeh served as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party.
“I didn’t know Chief Ogbeh until I became a deputy governor when he was serving as National Chairman of the PDP. At that time, deputy governors were often seen as spare tyres, but he treated me as a close friend.
“Whenever I visited Abuja, I would go to see him, and we always had good conversations. He was such a kind and generous person,” Jonathan recounted.
He noted that their cordial relationship endured even after he became President, adding:
“Whenever he wanted to see me, he would come, and sometimes we would spend up to an hour discussing national issues.”
Jonathan urged Nigerian politicians to emulate Ogbeh’s virtues of humility, forgiveness and bridge-building, stressing that such values are critical for healing political divisions and ensuring sustainable development.
Ogbeh, who died on August 9, 2025, in Abuja, was one of Nigeria’s most prominent politicians and a former National Chairman of the PDP between 2001 and 2005.
He also served as a minister under the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, where he championed agricultural reforms and food security policies.
Jonathan’s call for forgiveness and reconciliation echoes his well-known philosophy of conceding defeat in the 2015 presidential election, a decision widely regarded as pivotal in preventing a national crisis and violence.
The PUNCH
