A
abujagirl
Guest
2013 was a great and tumultuous political year for Nigeria. Nigerian Bulletin brings you the list of politicians who made great headline stories in 2013.
1. President Goodluck Jonathan
As expected, Nigeria’s President and political leader was in the news every day this year. When he was not ringing the closing bell for the New York stock exchange, he was going on pilgrimage to Israel with his embattled minister of aviation or receiving and replying open letters. Counting the amount of headlines stirred by the presidency will be like trying to count the blessings of God.
2. Patience Jonathan
Dame Patience, Goodluck Jonathan’s darling wife showed off her political side effusively this year. In addition to helping President Jonathan fight some of his wars, holidaying in a German hospital (her aides said she was never ill), and hitting the campaign trail before her husband formally declared his intentions, the distinguished first lady also bagged her fourth doctorate degree since becoming Nigeria’s First Lady.
3. Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK)
This year, FFK has had an opinion on almost every issue and has become the self-appointed expert on everything. When he wasn’t throwing barbs at President Jonathan, he was stirring up tribal sentiments, sending his rants (under the header of ‘opinion pieces’) to media houses or fighting his ex-girlfriend(s). FFK probably got more publicity and media attention this year than he ever got as aviation minister for the Federal Republic of Nigeria (which is saying something). There are yet many who believe he is fighting hard to become the poster boy for Yoruba politics.
4. Lai Mohammed
Alhaji Mohammed is the voice of Nigeria’s foremost opposition All Progressive Congress, APC. Mohammed is a topmost opposition guru renowned for pointing out holes in government policies. This APC propaganda guru spent most of 2013 calling for President Jonathan’s resignation/impeachment. We will definitely see more of him in 2014 as the 2015 general election draws closer.
5. Bamanga Tukur
The National Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP is currently –arguably - the most hated man in Nigerian Political circles. Everybody wants his head or a piece of his hide. No Nigerian politician - except, arguably - President Jonathan gets as much insults as Tukur. He is also the most embattled chairman the ruling party has ever had. 2014 is expected to be a big year for Tukur, with political analysts suggesting that he may be sacrificed for some level of sanity to return to the ruling party.
6. Stella Oduah
Stella Oduah, embattled minister of aviation and acclaimed brain behind “neighbour2neighbour”, the massive online recruitments of which is believed to have led to President Jonathan’s electoral victory in the 2011 presidential election. Towards the concluding part of 2013, this beautiful faithful daughter of Ohaneze Ndigbo came under probe for allegedly purchasing bulletproof BMW’s valued at N255 million. Nigerians are still waiting for the presidential decision on the minister. Meanwhile, she might continue to trend in news headlines come 2014.
7. Danbaba Suntai
Since the era of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, ill health in the polity has never been so publicized as it was in the case of Taraba state’s governor, Danbaba Suntai. He is currently the first Nigeria governor to spend most of his tenure hospitalized and still retain his governorship seat. Before his hospitalization and subsequent shoddy return, Suntai was seen as one of the most unassuming governors in Nigeria. Come 2014,it is still uncertain if Suntai will still be allowed to govern from his hospital bed or if his Deputy who is currently the acting Governor will be fully upgraded to the status of ‘Governor’.
8. Bola Tinubu
Bola Tinubu is unarguably the strongest opposition leader in Nigeria following the merger of parties that produced the APC. 2013 saw Tinubu moving out of his home zone and trying to gain better control of other zones of Nigeria. This man is said to be the brain box behind most of the recent defections from the PDP to the APC. Whenever his bad knee wasn't troubling him, he made sure he worked to boost his broom-wielding party. 2014 is expected to be an intense year for him as he has to ensure that his party wins the Ekiti Governorship election, a move which will further solidify him as the strongest king-maker in the South-West.
9. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Nobody plays the iron-lady role better Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and coordinating minister for the economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Other than her boss, President Jonathan, this iron lady is the only person who ever says that the Nigerian economy is experiencing growth. 2014 will certainly start on an interesting note for this lady as she is expected to issue her reply to the 50 questions thrown at her by the House of Representatives.
10. Nasir El-Rufai
Former F.C.T Minister and core Northern elitist, Nasir El-Rufai occupied news headlines via social network all year long. He even had the grace to update us on his arrest during the Anambra 2013 gubernatorial elections via his Twitter account. El-Rufai showed himself as a core hater of the Goodluck Jonathan administration: all year long, he has had nothing positive to stay about the government. El-Rufai is expected to get even more negative in 2014 as the 2015 election year looms.
11. Attahiru Jega
INEC chief and – possibly - the only man who ever knows the true winner in a Nigerian election, Attahiru Jega came under fire from irate politicians this year. Every loser blames Jega for their loss at the polls, and it didn’t help matters any that he came out to apologize for discrepancies in the Anambra poll. Jega has had an eventful year, what with APC members calling for his resignation and market women holding a ‘Jega must go’ rally. All eyes will be on Jega in 2014 as he unveils his (INEC’s) plans for the 2015 general elections.
12. Rotimi Amaechi
One of Nigeria’s most popular governor-turned-human-rights-activists via his defection from PDP to APC. Rotimi Amaechi has been in the news almost all year following his ongoing political beef with President Jonathan and Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike. The shameful free-for-all fight in the Rivers State House of Assembly also made him headline candy although his defection crowned it all. 2014 will be a very interesting year for Amaechi as he has to make sure Rivers state is well mobilized for the APC ahead of 2015 presidential elections.
13. Abubakar Kawu Baraje
Leader of the breakaway faction of the ruling party which is formally known as the new PDP. Abubakar Kawu Baraje stole the headlines at a least expected occasion and time and has clung to it since then. No one expected he will ever lead a breakaway of the PDP or even facilitate the defection of 5 serving governors from the PDP. As 2015 approaches, Baraje’s voice is expected to get louder although nobody knows which song he will be singing.
Some others like Former President Obasanjo and House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal almost made it into the list. Sadly it was too late for them. We hope they try harder; 2014 might just be their year of a fruitful media flirtationship.
1. President Goodluck Jonathan
As expected, Nigeria’s President and political leader was in the news every day this year. When he was not ringing the closing bell for the New York stock exchange, he was going on pilgrimage to Israel with his embattled minister of aviation or receiving and replying open letters. Counting the amount of headlines stirred by the presidency will be like trying to count the blessings of God.
2. Patience Jonathan
Dame Patience, Goodluck Jonathan’s darling wife showed off her political side effusively this year. In addition to helping President Jonathan fight some of his wars, holidaying in a German hospital (her aides said she was never ill), and hitting the campaign trail before her husband formally declared his intentions, the distinguished first lady also bagged her fourth doctorate degree since becoming Nigeria’s First Lady.
3. Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK)
This year, FFK has had an opinion on almost every issue and has become the self-appointed expert on everything. When he wasn’t throwing barbs at President Jonathan, he was stirring up tribal sentiments, sending his rants (under the header of ‘opinion pieces’) to media houses or fighting his ex-girlfriend(s). FFK probably got more publicity and media attention this year than he ever got as aviation minister for the Federal Republic of Nigeria (which is saying something). There are yet many who believe he is fighting hard to become the poster boy for Yoruba politics.
4. Lai Mohammed
Alhaji Mohammed is the voice of Nigeria’s foremost opposition All Progressive Congress, APC. Mohammed is a topmost opposition guru renowned for pointing out holes in government policies. This APC propaganda guru spent most of 2013 calling for President Jonathan’s resignation/impeachment. We will definitely see more of him in 2014 as the 2015 general election draws closer.
5. Bamanga Tukur
The National Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP is currently –arguably - the most hated man in Nigerian Political circles. Everybody wants his head or a piece of his hide. No Nigerian politician - except, arguably - President Jonathan gets as much insults as Tukur. He is also the most embattled chairman the ruling party has ever had. 2014 is expected to be a big year for Tukur, with political analysts suggesting that he may be sacrificed for some level of sanity to return to the ruling party.
6. Stella Oduah
Stella Oduah, embattled minister of aviation and acclaimed brain behind “neighbour2neighbour”, the massive online recruitments of which is believed to have led to President Jonathan’s electoral victory in the 2011 presidential election. Towards the concluding part of 2013, this beautiful faithful daughter of Ohaneze Ndigbo came under probe for allegedly purchasing bulletproof BMW’s valued at N255 million. Nigerians are still waiting for the presidential decision on the minister. Meanwhile, she might continue to trend in news headlines come 2014.
7. Danbaba Suntai
Since the era of late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, ill health in the polity has never been so publicized as it was in the case of Taraba state’s governor, Danbaba Suntai. He is currently the first Nigeria governor to spend most of his tenure hospitalized and still retain his governorship seat. Before his hospitalization and subsequent shoddy return, Suntai was seen as one of the most unassuming governors in Nigeria. Come 2014,it is still uncertain if Suntai will still be allowed to govern from his hospital bed or if his Deputy who is currently the acting Governor will be fully upgraded to the status of ‘Governor’.
8. Bola Tinubu
Bola Tinubu is unarguably the strongest opposition leader in Nigeria following the merger of parties that produced the APC. 2013 saw Tinubu moving out of his home zone and trying to gain better control of other zones of Nigeria. This man is said to be the brain box behind most of the recent defections from the PDP to the APC. Whenever his bad knee wasn't troubling him, he made sure he worked to boost his broom-wielding party. 2014 is expected to be an intense year for him as he has to ensure that his party wins the Ekiti Governorship election, a move which will further solidify him as the strongest king-maker in the South-West.
9. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Nobody plays the iron-lady role better Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and coordinating minister for the economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Other than her boss, President Jonathan, this iron lady is the only person who ever says that the Nigerian economy is experiencing growth. 2014 will certainly start on an interesting note for this lady as she is expected to issue her reply to the 50 questions thrown at her by the House of Representatives.
10. Nasir El-Rufai
Former F.C.T Minister and core Northern elitist, Nasir El-Rufai occupied news headlines via social network all year long. He even had the grace to update us on his arrest during the Anambra 2013 gubernatorial elections via his Twitter account. El-Rufai showed himself as a core hater of the Goodluck Jonathan administration: all year long, he has had nothing positive to stay about the government. El-Rufai is expected to get even more negative in 2014 as the 2015 election year looms.
11. Attahiru Jega
INEC chief and – possibly - the only man who ever knows the true winner in a Nigerian election, Attahiru Jega came under fire from irate politicians this year. Every loser blames Jega for their loss at the polls, and it didn’t help matters any that he came out to apologize for discrepancies in the Anambra poll. Jega has had an eventful year, what with APC members calling for his resignation and market women holding a ‘Jega must go’ rally. All eyes will be on Jega in 2014 as he unveils his (INEC’s) plans for the 2015 general elections.
12. Rotimi Amaechi
One of Nigeria’s most popular governor-turned-human-rights-activists via his defection from PDP to APC. Rotimi Amaechi has been in the news almost all year following his ongoing political beef with President Jonathan and Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike. The shameful free-for-all fight in the Rivers State House of Assembly also made him headline candy although his defection crowned it all. 2014 will be a very interesting year for Amaechi as he has to make sure Rivers state is well mobilized for the APC ahead of 2015 presidential elections.
13. Abubakar Kawu Baraje
Leader of the breakaway faction of the ruling party which is formally known as the new PDP. Abubakar Kawu Baraje stole the headlines at a least expected occasion and time and has clung to it since then. No one expected he will ever lead a breakaway of the PDP or even facilitate the defection of 5 serving governors from the PDP. As 2015 approaches, Baraje’s voice is expected to get louder although nobody knows which song he will be singing.
Some others like Former President Obasanjo and House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal almost made it into the list. Sadly it was too late for them. We hope they try harder; 2014 might just be their year of a fruitful media flirtationship.
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