Year in Review: 5 biggest political winners in 2020 (list)

As challenging as 2020 is, especially with the coronavirus pandemic, Nigeria's political space witnessed some dramatic developments. While some lost out in the political schemes, others recorded some significant winnings.

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In this piece, Legit.ng takes a look at five politicians whose political permutations worked out as they wanted, making them emerge the top "political winners" in 2020.

1. Godwin Obaseki

Obaseki's journey to re-election was very tough. His clash with his successor and political benefactor, Adams Oshiomhole, led to his disqualification from the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

When many thought his second term bid had been crushed, Obaseki made a very bold move and defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Against all odds, he negotiated with the PDP to get the party's ticket and was eventually re-elected as Edo state governor for the second term.

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2. Rotimi Akeredolu

In his bid to secure the second term as the governor of Ondo state, Governor Akeredolu "fought" some political battles.

Prominent among them was the clash with his deputy, Agboola Ajayi, who left the APC to the PDP in a bid to unseat his principal as Ondo governor.

Ajayi eventually left the PDP again for the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) to tackle his boss even as he refused to resign his position as the deputy governor.

Thus, Akeredolu had to battle two major political enemies, PDP's Eyitayo Jegede, and his deputy, Ajayi, in the governorship election.

He eventually defeated the two of them to secure his second term mandate.

3. Henry Seriake Dickson

Henry Seriake Dickson has just won the Bayelsa West senatorial by-election. But the journey to this victory started in 2019 when he was still the governor of Bayelsa state.

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Allegedly against the position of many PDP leaders in the state, Dickson supported Senator Douye Diri and Lawrence Oborawharievwo Ewhrudjakpo as the PDP's governorship and deputy governorship candidates respectively.

At the time, the two were serving senators. Diri was representing Bayelsa Central while Ewhrudjakpo was representing Bayelsa West.

Dickson's choice backfired as the PDP lost the election to the APC. However, luck returned to his side as the Supreme Court nullified the APC's victory due to the forged documents submitted by the party's deputy governorship candidate.

Diri was eventually declared the winner, making the Bayelsa Central and West senatorial seats become vacant.

After leaving office, Dickson who is from Bayelsa West secured the senatorial ticket of the PDP and eventually won the election, taking over the seat hitherto occupied by the current deputy governor of the south-south state.

4. Hope Uzodinma

Uzodinma's emergence as the governor of Imo state was very shocking to many Nigerians as he was not even the runner-up in the 2019 governorship election in the state.

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In a totally unexpected twist on Tuesday, January 14, the Supreme Court sacked Emeka Ihedioha as the governor of Imo state and declared the APC's candidate, Hope Uzodinma, as the state's duly elected governor.

Uzodinma had asked the tribunal, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court to nullify the election of Ihedioha who was the candidate of the PDP and declare him the winner.

While Uzodinma had lost at the tribunal and the appeal court, he eventually got a favourable judgment where it matters most; the apex court.

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5. Tokunbo Abiru

Until Monday, August 31, Tokunbo Abiru was the Group MD/CEO of Polaris Bank Nigeria. Fresh from the corporate world, Abiru contested the December 5 Lagos East senatorial election on the platform of the APC and won.

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It is, however, important to note that Abiru has earlier been involved in Lagos politics as he served as the state's commissioner for finance from 2011-2013, under the administration of Babatunde Fashola.

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Source: Legit.ng