Jonathan Is Inept And A Weakling, Unfit To Be Governor; He Was An Aberration As Nigerian President –Henry Okah


In a statement from his prison cell in Pretoria, Henry Emomotimi Okah, a Niger Delta oil militant jailed in South Africa for the 2010 Independence Day attacks that killed 12 people in Nigeria, has described former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan as “inept and a weakling” and unfit to govern.

Okah’s explosive commentary comes amid his reflections on the issues affecting the Ijaw Nation and the ongoing corruption trial faced by former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, in London.

In a letter to the Ijaw Nation titled, ‘Coordinated Attacks On The Unity Of The Ijaw Nation: Diezani Allison-Madueke,’ Okah, who has been detained since 2007 following his arrest in Angola and subsequent transfer to Nigeria, detailed how he was allegedly targeted due to his involvement in the Niger Delta struggle.

According to him, Jonathan, in collusion with foreign and domestic actors, has historically undermined Niger Delta leaders and activists to serve political ambitions.

“As I have repeatedly said, Goodluck Jonathan is inept and a weakling who is unfit to be a governor, and as president of Nigeria, was an aberration,” Okah wrote.

Okah claims that Jonathan, during his presidency, collaborated with the British government and then-South African leader Jacob Zuma and current President Cyril Ramaphosa to suppress Niger Delta voices.

He alleges that these actions were motivated by Jonathan’s ambition to secure political advantage and to influence the succession of Nigeria’s presidency.

The activist also warned that the same political tactics appear to be repeating in London, where Diezani Allison-Madueke faces charges he describes as politically motivated.

Okah argued that the British government’s pursuit of Diezani is designed to favour President Bola Tinubu, portraying Diezani’s prosecution as a calculated attempt to influence Nigerian politics ahead of the 2027 presidential elections.

He said, “Diezani's politically motivated prosecution in London is in my opinion a gross act of provocation that should test the mettle and unity of the Ijaw Nation, and which ought to be met with a robust and decisive response.

“It is said that she accepted gifts from individuals which by the British government's estimation is tantamount to receiving bribes. My question to the British government is, are there bigger thieves in Nigeria than President Bola Tinubu and his family whose stolen wealth is exposed in England? If so, why ignore Nigerian political leaders who have stashed away in England billions of pounds of Nigeria's looted wealth?

“What happened to all the loot stashed in England by Generals Abacha, Buhari and their cronies, many of whom are alive and frequent visitors to your country?”

“Diezani's politically motivated persecution in England is hilarious considering that Jonathan most certainly cannot win an election in his home state, not to speak of Nigeria,” Okah stated.

He emphasised that this is not about blind ethnic solidarity but about resisting foreign interference and confronting calculated injustice.

Highlighting patterns from past events, Okah recalled his own detention in South Africa, which he says involved bribery and collusion between South African authorities and Nigerian political figures, including Jonathan.

He criticised the use of foreign judicial systems to target Nigerian leaders and accused Jonathan of participating in similar strategies during his presidency to manipulate political outcomes.

Okah’s letter concluded with a direct appeal to the Ijaw masses, urging them to remain united and vigilant against threats to their political and cultural integrity.

He said, “The British government was previously used by Obasanjo to eliminate Alamieseigha from Nigeria's presidential race and by Jonathan to settle a score with Mr James Ibori, former governor of Delta State who concurrently was by underhanded means prevented from participating in Nigeria's presidential race.

“Clearly neither Alamieyeseigha nor Ibori were morally competent to lead Nigeria, as is the case with Tinubu but what must be found objectionable is foreign interference in Nigeria's domestic affairs.

“Despite the seeming appearance of legality, just as Presidents Zuma and Ramaphosa together with judges in South Africa were bribed to imprison me, the same can happen to Diezani in England.

“Neither the Niger Delta nor Nigeria is a colony of South Africa or the revived British Empire so we must endeavour by all possible means to make unfashionable, interference in our internal affairs by greedy foreign governments and interests whose motivation is the looting of the Niger Delta.”

“As I have done for nearly 16 years, bearing in mind that the governments of South Africa. The United Kingdom and Nigeria utilise thousands of agents to scour the Internet and post favourable comments, readers of this exhortation will do well to consider with caution, negative comments that may follow,” he said.