ABUJA, Nigeria – Former President Goodluck Jonathan, during the Night of Tributes organised by the family of late Chief Raymond Dokpesi on Monday, June 19, 2023, commended the late founder of DAAR Communications for his unwavering support following his presidential election loss in 2015.
Jonathan revealed that Dokpesi was among the few who remained by his side when many of his allies deserted him after his defeat to former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The ex-president recalled, “I was in a dilemma after I lost the election. Some of the people you think instead of you to die, they will prefer to take the bullet for you but surprisingly, they even forgot your name when you lose the election.”
According to Jonathan, Dokpesi not only stood by him but also hosted an event in his honour, making him believe that life continued after an election loss.
He said, “To my surprise, I was told that Dokpesi would host me for an event. I was surprised that how will he do that for a person that lost an election. He was the first person that made me believe that there could still be life after losing an election.”
Jonathan also attributed the successful hosting of the U-17 World Cup by Nigeria to Dokpesi’s persistence.
After the then-President, Umaru Musa Yar’adua rejected the idea of Nigeria hosting the tournament due to financial constraints, Dokpesi persuaded Jonathan, who was the vice president at the time.
He convinced him that Nigeria could indeed host the competition, leading Jonathan to successfully lobby President Yar’adua to reconsider.
The former president stated, “Fortunately, Dokpesi came to my house as the vice president and made his presentation to me that convinced me that Nigeria can host the Cup. The following morning, I went to take it up with the president, and he agreed that we should host it. So if not for the person, we would not have host it.”
Jonathan’s tribute paints Dokpesi as a steadfast ally and a man who had Nigeria’s interests at heart.
His legacy, as remembered by the former president, will live on in the impact he made in Nigeria’s media and sports landscapes.
