Goodluck, Buhari and Jega all shortlisted for 2015 Leadership Person of the Year

FORMER president Dr Goodluck Jonathan along with incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari and ex-Independent Nigerian Electoral Commission (Inec) chairman Professor Attahiru Jega have been short-listed for the Nigerian Leadership Person of the Year.

 

Held every year, the Leadership Persons of the Year, recognise icons of democracy for their role in the nation’s proper initiation to true democracy. Given the elections that held this year, Dr Jonathan, President Buhari and Professor Jega have been shortlisted for the award for their role in delivering as peaceful poll.

 

Dr Jonathan was on the list for conceding defeat in an election in which he was a contestant, while Professor Jega was recognised for his courage, doggedness and fairness even in the face of threats to his life. President Buhari was shortlisted for making history by being the first opposition candidate to defeat a sitting president after three attempts.

 

A Leadership spokesman said: " They jointly, midwifed and protected the people’s mandate and the nation’s democracy from the pernicious machinations of contending interests. In choosing the Leadership Person of the Year, the board of editors could not separate the three central characters who defined 2015."

 

He added that Nigerians may now take for granted the watershed of the 2015 presidential election but who could have thought it would come to pass. When Nigeria held presidential elections on March 28, it had all the elements of a do-or-die affair but contrary to expectations, it passed peacefully.