Top 10 Political Events Of 2013

A new year has just started, but it will definitely take us some time to reflect on the events of 2013. As any other year, 2013 was a year full of ups and downs, especially in the political domain. We have reviewed political news of the previous year and chose 10 most popular ones. The list is below. Please note, that the list is in no particular order.

1. ASUU Called Off Its Five Month Strike The strike of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that closed all public universities in Nigeria, was called off on December 17 after the Federal Government paid for refurbishments. Although the story has a happy end, the five months of the strike were quite stressful for teachers, students, and their parents.

2. Obasanjo Lambasted Jonathan In A Controversial Letter An apparently angry and frustrated ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo wrote what clearly competes as one of the most acerbic letters in modern history to President Goodluck Jonathan, accusing him of ineptitude and of taking actions
calculated at destroying Nigeria. In his response, Jonathan called the letter "provocative" and "self-serving". It seems that no politician has refrained from a comment on these correspondence.

 3. President Jonathan Sacked 9 Ministers At A Time President Goodluck Jonathan's administration sacked nine serving ministers on September 11. According to sources in the government, among the reasons of the decision were non-performance; security reports on alleged corruption; political allegiance and doubtful loyalty to the President; poor management of turn-key projects; and the crisis in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The cabinet's reshuffle has, of course, received mixed reactions.

 4. PDP Split: Seven Governors Formed New Faction A new faction, consisting of seven of the PDP’s 23 governors, announced it took over the party on August 31. At a press briefing in Abuja, Abubakar Kawu Baraje, a former acting National Chairman of the PDP, was proclaimed as the leader of the new faction. Perhaps, only the ASUU strike received more media attention in 2013 than the split of the ruling party and its consequences.

  5. Police Blocked Amaechi From Entering Rivers Government House Police blocked Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi from entering Government House in Port Harcourt on September 12. According to the police, the entrance was blocked as a measure to prevent a breakdown of law and order after a splinter group of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state opened a secretariat on the same road. Amaechi himself described the blockade as "the height of lawlessness and impunity."

6. "Go And Die" - Edo Governor To A Poor Widow Edo State Govenor, Adams Oshiomhole, clearly made history giving such a direct piece of advice to a lady who was asking for some help claiming she was a widow with no means for living. Governor was leading officials of the state to sanitize the city of Benin on November 28. The poor widow knelt before him, begging for her little means of livelihood to be saved. But her pleas fell on the governor's deaf ear. In what could be regarded as the most unkind cut of all, the governor told the widowed to "go and die!"

  7. Jonathan Snubbed At Mandela’s Memorial Despite leaving Nigeria early for the funeral of late South African leader, Nelson Mandela, President Goodluck Jonathan was snubbed by the South African authorities at the State Memorial Service of the anti-apartheid leader. An official release of programs during the memorial service shows that the Nigerian president was missing on the list of world leaders billed to give tributes. A number of explanations - some that support the South Africa's decision and some that criticize it - were expressed in the aftermath of the event.

  8. G-7 Governors Merged With APC On November 26, the splinter governors of the PDP announced their decision to join the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).They declared their move was aimed at rescuing Nigeria. Reacting on the merger, the PDP said they didn't mind the move, and reassured that the defecting governors would come back.

 9. Anambra Election: INEC Announced Official Results n November 18, the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) announced that November 16-17 Anambra governorship election was inconclusive and ordered a supplementary election in 208 polling units. Later, on December 1, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Chief, Willie Obiano, was declared winner of the poll. He was, obviously, very happy about the victory. However, not all political forces in Nigeria shared his positive mood.

10. APC Picked Presidential Candidate The speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, was invited by the APC to be wooed for presidency in 2015 general elections. We are yet to see if the Speaker will contest in 2015 poll. In you opinion, which political event of 2013 was the most remarkable one?