Probably the first time after the 2015 general election the key players ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, former INEC chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, and President Muhammadu Buhari will meet under one roof in Abuja on Thursday, October 6, 2016. The Leadership Newspaper editorial team has chosen the trio as the Persons of the Year 2015. The statement from the newspaper says that Buhari, Jonathan and Jega have already confirmed their participation in the annual awards event. The 2016 Awards Ceremony is important as it will put together a serving and two ex-presidents, governors, lawmakers, members of the diplomatic corps and elder statesmen to discuss the theme: ‘‘Democracy, Political Transition and the Challenge of Leadership in Africa.’’ Governor Udom Emmanuel of the Akwa Ibom State will deliver the keynote address. Former head of state and elder statesman, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, will chair the event and is set to present the Persons of The Year awards to the winners.
The statement reads in part: “It was not an easy decision for the Board of Editors of LEADERSHIP who voted for the trio. The choice of President Buhari was made to honour him for making history by being the first opposition candidate to defeat a sitting president after three attempts. In the case of former President Jonathan, he would be recognised for achieving the improbable and for conceding defeat in an election in which he was a contestant – a first for Nigeria. “The former INEC boss is to be honoured for his courage, doggedness and fairness even in the face of threats to his life in the conduct of the 2015 elections, a feat he achieved to global acclaim.” Buhari defeated Jonathan in Nigeria’s bitterly contested presidential election in 2015, with his All Progressives Congress (APC) party announcing that the country is “witnessing history”. Buhari’s party received 15.4 million votes while 13.3 million gained byJonathan People’s Democratic Party. At the same time, Jonathan received several awards for his decision to accept the result of the 2015 Presidential poll.