Jonathan absent but Buhari, Jega attend Leadership awards

Former President Goodluck Jonathan was absent at Transcorp Hill Hotel, Abuja, venue of the awards ceremony of Leadership Newspaper.

While he was represented by Taminu Turaki, former minister of special duties, President Muhammadu Buhari and Attahiru Jega, former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were in attendance.

Citing the roles they played in the 2015 general election, the publication nominated the trio as its Persons of the Year 2015.

In his welcome address, Sam Nda-Isaiah, chairman, Leadership Group Limited,said the event was organised to celebrate democracy, and to also acknowledge the roles played by key actors.

Abdusalami Abubakar, a former military head of state, who chaired the occasion, said Nigeria had a good reason to be grateful for the outcome of the election.

He said considering political violence in other African countries, it was important for Nigerians to celebrate that the election was peaceful.

Abubakar said most of the wars witnessed in other countries would have been avoided if the actors had emulated Buhari, Jonathan and Jega.

Buhari hailed his joint winners, saying the last general election was a watershed in the history of the country.

“Let me hasten to congratulate my joint award winners, my predecessor, His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR and Professor Attahiru Jega, the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, as ‘Leadership Person of the Year.’,” he said.

“The events of 2015, which the Leadership newspaper has chosen to bring to the fore today, marked a watershed in the political history of our country.

“Those of us who were participating actors in the elections were led by the higher ideal of the future of our great country and the well-being of our people rather than the mere desire of politicians to win elections.

“​It is therefore our commitment to this ideal, the patriotic zeal of President Jonathan, the impartiality of the electoral umpire, INEC, and exemplary conduct of the political parties, foreign pressure and other actors that we collectively disappointed the prophets of doom who had predicted the disintegration of the country after the 2015 general election.”