By Seyi Odewale
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has declared that Nigeria’s political landscape remains riddled with betrayals, half-truths, and shifting loyalties, stressing that trustworthy allies are a rarity in the nation’s corridors of power.
Jonathan, who made the remarks in Benin City on Thursday during the 70th birthday celebration of his former Chief of Staff and ex-Edo State deputy governor, Chief Mike Ogiadomhe, recalled that the betrayals he faced during the 2015 general elections remain a painful lesson in the cut-throat nature of Nigerian politics.
The event, which attracted an array of political heavyweights—including former governors Lucky Igbinedion, Adams Oshiomhole, Prof. Osarhiemen Osunbor, ex-Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dakwambo, and serving Edo State Deputy Governor Godwin Idahosa—provided the backdrop for Jonathan’s candid reflections on loyalty and trust.
“I became president, then post-presidency, one of the few friends who would give up their necks for me is Mike,” Jonathan said.
“You know politics, in the Nigerian standard, is about betrayals. You find it difficult to find someone who says the same thing in the morning and in the evening.
“I’ve witnessed many betrayals, especially during the 2015 elections, and Mike is someone who would take a bullet on my behalf. He is someone whose word you can take to the bank; most other politicians, you cannot.”
Jonathan’s words carried deeper resonance at a time when the nation’s political class is already agitated ahead of the 2027 general elections, with defections, alignments, and backroom deals dominating the political climate.
His reflection is viewed by observers as both a warning and a lament, underscoring how trust deficits persist in continuing to haunt governance and leadership in Nigeria.
Other speakers at the ceremony, including Oshiomhole and Igbinedion, extolled Ogiadomhe’s loyalty and character, with Oshiomhole disclosing that the celebrant had always placed Jonathan’s interest above personal or partisan considerations.
The celebratory mood, however, did little to mask the underlying message: in Nigeria’s high-stakes politics, loyalty is scarce, betrayal is rife, and statesmanship is increasingly under siege.
