GOODLUCK JONATHAN TURNS 59 TODAY (READ FULL PROFILE)

Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan GCFR BNER GCON (born 20 November 1957) is the former President of Nigeria, having served from 2010 to 2015. He served as Vice-President of Nigeria from 2007 to 2010 and as Governor of Bayelsa State from 2005 to 2007.

He contested and lost the 2015 presidential election, upon which he conceded defeat and became the first sitting Nigerian president to do so.Jonathan's term as President of Nigeria ended on 29 May 2015, with Muhammadu Buhari becoming the new president.

Jonathan was born in what is now Bayelsa State to a family of canoe makers. Jonathan holds a B.Sc. degree in Zoology in which he attained Second Class Honours. He holds an M.Sc. degree in Hydrobiology and Fisheries biology, and a PhD degree in Zoology from the University of Port Harcourt. Before he entered politics in 1998, he worked as an education inspector, lecturer, and environmental-protection officer.

Jonathan and his wife Patience have two children. He is a Christian, and he comes from the Ijaw ethnic group.

In 2007, President Jonathan declared his assets worth a total of ₦ 295,304,420 Naira ($1,845,652 USD).However, on 9 October 2014, the richestlifestyle.com website ranked Mr Jonathan sixth on its list, claiming his net worth was about $100m (£62m). He threatened to sue the website, claiming it "was an attempt to portray him as corrupt."The page was removed, but was then published by another website which estimated Jonathan's net wealth at $10 million.

On 29 May 1999, Jonathan was sworn in as Deputy Governor of Bayelsa alongside Diepreye Alamieyeseigha who named in as the governor of the state on the platform of PDP. Jonathan served as Deputy Governor until December 2005

As Vice-President, Jonathan took a very low profile. While recognising the constitutional limits of the Vice-President's office, he participated in cabinet meetings and, by statute, was a member of the National Security Council, the National Defence Council, the Federal Executive Council, and was the Chairman of National Economic Council.

Vice-President Jonathan was instrumental in negotiating an agreement with many of the major militant groups in the Niger Delta, who were mostly his fellow Ijaws, to lay down their weapons and stop fighting as part of a government amnesty
On 9 February 2010, a motion from the Nigerian Senate invested Goodluck Jonathan as acting President of the Federation because President Yar'Adua went for medical treatment in Saudi Arabia in November 2009.On 10 February 2010, during his first day as acting president, Jonathan announced a minor cabinet reshuffle. Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, who was the Labour Minister, was named Minister of Justice, to replace Mr Mike Aondoakaa. Aondoakaa was named as the Minister of Special Duties, and his counterpart Ibrahim Kazaure, was named Minister of Labour.

Acting President Jonathan also promised to continue implementing the Seven-point agenda policy framework of President Umaru Musa Yar’adua

In accordance with the order of succession in the Nigerian constitution following President Umaru Yar'Adua's death on 5 May 2010, Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 6 May 2010, becoming Nigeria's 14th Head of State. He cited anti-corruption, power and electoral reforms as focuses of his administration. He stated that he came to office under "very sad and unusual circumstances".

On 18 May 2010, the National Assembly approved Jonathan's nomination of former Kaduna State governor, Namadi Sambo, for the position of Vice-President.

On 15 September 2010, Jonathan announced on Facebook that he had decided to run for public office on his own for the first time, in the race for the presidency of Nigeria in 2011.

In the contest for the Peoples Democratic Party nomination, Goodluck Jonathan was up against the former vice-president Atiku Abubakar and Mrs. Sarah Jubril. On 13 January 2011 the primary election results were announced in Eagle Square, Abuja. Jonathan was declared winner with a victory in two-thirds of the states of the Federation counted.

For the general election in 2011, Jonathan and Vice-President Sambo attended political events and travelled the country to campaign for the nation's highest office. Jonathan won the general election against General Muhammadu Buhari and his running mate Pastor Tunde Bakare with 59% of the votes.On 18 April, Jonathan was declared the winner of the election.
He lost the election to return as Nigeria’s President to Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.