Jonathan marks five years in office with prayer

President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday marked five years since he took over the mantle of the nation’s leadership.

It will be recalled that Jonathan was on May 6, 2010 inaugurated as the President by the then Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu.

That followed the death on May 5, 2010 of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua who he served for three years as Vice President.

The nation’s constitution recommends that the Vice President automatically takes over upon the death of the President.

After completing Yar’Adua’s tenure, Jonathan contested and won the 2011 presidential election but lost his re-election bid in 2015.

The President however marked the fifth anniversary of his Presidency in a low-key manner.

As the day coincided with the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council, he only asked two ministers to pray according to the Christian and Islamic injunctions.

That was a clear departure from the past when the second stanza of the National Anthem was always used as the opening prayers during the council meetings.

The Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo; and the Minister of State for Finance, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, took turn to render special prayers for the President, his family and the nation.

Jonathan took the council members by surprise when he arrived the Council Chambers and announced that a member was celebrating his birthday.

When members could not identify the celebrant, the President came to their aid, saying it was the anniversary of his Presidency.

They all clapped to the admiration of Jonathan.