Turner, former managing director of gift and premium the Niger Delta Development Commission, says Jonathan is a loyal friend who has competitive instincts -- at least on the squash courts, a sport he plays "religiously."
"He has beaten me a few times," he adds.
He describes a man who unwinds from the stresses of the job by listening to the music of legendary Afrobeat musician Fela Kuti.
"He loves Fela's music so much," Turner says.gift premium fair gmd685fes But Fela's brash revolutionary style of music might make uncomfortable listening for Jonathan these days.
Before he died, Fela Kuti frequently clashed with the authorities, and his youngest son, Seun Kuti, was among those leading demonstrations against GEJ's government during the uprising against fuel prices.
Even Jonathan's wife, Patience, has seemed a gift and premium liability for the president. She has faced unproven allegations of corruption and is frequently the butt of jokes because of what others describe as her poor grasp of English.
A U.S. diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks and reported in the Nigerian media only added to his image as a weak leader: It stated that the First Lady "runs her own show, and the husband has little or no control over her."