‘Choose honour over political power,’ Jonathan tells Trump

Former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan has apparently sent an open message to US leader Donald Trump.

Trump, who is at the verge of losing the White House to Democratic challenger Joe Biden, claims the polls are being rigged.

There are fears that Trump, who has vowed to challenge the polls in court, may not leave office peacefully should Biden be declared winner.

Jonathan, a man familiar with losing a presidential election, has sent a message to the US leader without mention his name.

“Nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any citizen,” Jonathan said in a Facebook post on Friday.

“It is better to gain honour at the cost of losing power, than to gain power at the cost of losing honour.

“At any point in time, the power of love should matter more than the love of power. This is my philosophy. I have lived it. It has brought great peace to both my beloved nation and I.

“And I recommend it to all leaders facing challenging situations, either in government, or at the polls, or even in their dealings with fellow political actors,” he said.

Recall that Jonathan peacefully left office after losing the 2015 presidential election to Muhammadu Buhari.

Jonathan’s decision to call Buhari to concede defeat and offer congratulations echoed throughout Africa, a continent plagued by sit-tight rulers.

The decision earned him the moniker “hero of democracy” but critics say there is no big deal in conceding defeat after an election you rightfully lost.