Former Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, has reacted to the invasion of the United States Capitol by supporters of President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
The Trump supporters had wreaked havoc at the seat of the legislative branch of the U.S. Government, where lawmakers were expected to hold a ceremonial counting of electoral votes that would confirm Joe Biden as the winner of the November 3 U.S presidential election.
At least four persons were said to have died in the aftermath of the invasion of the iconic American building by Trump’s supporters. Among them was a 35-year-old woman, Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot while protesting Trump’s loss at the election.
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The mob’s invasion of the Capitol Building followed months of insistence by President Trump that he won the election, but that his victory was “stolen”.
But reacting on Thursday, Jonathan condemned the protesters’ action and reiterated a statement he made after losing his re-election bid to the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari in Nigeria’s 2015 presidential election.
Although Jonathan did not mention Trump’s name, his statement at a time that America’s democracy is being threatened, indicates that he was referring to the U.S president and his supporters.
He wrote in a Facebook post: “I have repeatedly said nobody’s political ambition is worth the blood of any citizen, in any part of the world. 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.
“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. It is necessary to state that the highest purpose of leadership is to bring people together, even those that do not share in your philosophy. And you do not need an office to do that. All you need to achieve that height of leadership is conscience. Let us be men of conscience at this hour.”