Jonathan with a former aide at Heathrow airport as photographed by an excited Nigerian
Jonathan with a former aide at Heathrow Airport

Nigeria’s former president, Goodluck Jonathan is a man widely known to be highly reserved and quiet. Even his foray into the noisy world of Nigerian politics and his days in government, it now appears, have not removed his penchant for always preferring to cut a quiet and low profile.

Last week, Jonathan returned to Nigeria, after spending weeks abroad, unannounced. Apparently, only a few friends and associates who were at the Port Harcourt International Airport to welcome him last Wednesday, knew that he was returning. Of course, the other Nigerians who might know would be his kinsmen at his hometown of Otuoke in Bayelsa State.

There were media reports which suggested that the former president was forced to return to Nigeria by widely-circulated speculations that he went abroad so he could escape arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Some of the reports even suggested that Jonathan had gone into exile in Cote d’Ivoire to escape prosecution over the many allegations of financial impropriety which have seen many key figures in his administration being detained and tried.

No reaction came directly from Jonathan. Only some of his friends and associates sought to counter the reports and assumptions by saying that the former president was definitely not running away. Jonathan, they asserted, was not the kind of man to go into exile and that he had no reason to relocate from Nigeria. The former president, they claimed, was only busy promoting his foundation and honouring several speaking engagements abroad.

Back in Nigeria, on Wednesday, June 1, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was indifferent to press inquiries about why he returned. However, some of his associates and admirers did not mince words when they said he came back to re-assure all and sundry that he was not on exile and that he had no reason to run away from his country.

Again, nobody today except perhaps close associates who were probably warned to keep their lips sealed, can say for sure why the former president called on the incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Villa in Abuja. Press reports about that visit were mainly those that emanated from confidential leaks or tip-offs. The meeting itself reportedly happened at night.

Not less significant was the association of former president Olusegun Obasanjo with that meeting. Some reports said it was brokered by him, whatever what that would imply.

Jonathan was believed to have been invited by Buhari so he could prevail on the Niger Delta Avengers and other militant groups in the South-South to stop blowing up oil installations and attempting to bring the nation’s economy to its knees.

Nobody, apart from those who participated in that meeting appears to know exactly what transpired or what agreement was reached. “Keep your mouth shut” appears to be the rule on both sides.

Yesterday, Goodluck Jonathan left the shores of Nigeria to continue with his speaking engagement in the United Kingdom. The former President’s exit this time was as quiet as it was when he left weeks ago.