Top 10 quotes in Nigerian politics for the year

Much of it started with President Muhammadu Buhari's medical vacation in London which led to strains between the executive and the legislature.

Several public officers also went at loggerheads with each other to...assume dominance?

Out of the rubble of all that drama comes a few gems that defined Nigerian politics in 2017:

1. "I was distressed to notice that some of the comments, especially in the social media have crossed our national red lines by daring to question our collective existence as a nation. This is a step too far." - President Muhammadu Buhari

After his return from his second medical trip to London that took 103 days, President Buhari returned to rebuke Nigerians' irreverent use of social media to make reckless comments.

Whether he intended it or not, he made "national red lines" a catchphrase that'll be remembered for a while.

2. "You speak the truth, you die; you lie, you die. I, Dino Melaye, I have chosen to speak the truth and die." - Senator Dino Melaye.

Senator Dino Melaye didn't become the country's most infamous lawmaker by keeping his mouth shut for anyone or thing.

He has been actively involved in his fair share of public spats this year, and the above quote, along with his hilarious song and dance, is probably this year's most iconic political moment, for the wrong reason.

3. "It is criminal. It is unconscionable. It is wicked for people who are so highly privileged, who are the wealthiest people in the country to still be sucking our blood dry by collecting these things which they don't need and depriving others of them." - Prof. Itse Sagay.

One of this year's longest-running public feuds involved the Senate pitted against the chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), Professor Itse Sagay.

He didn't hide his bile for the upper legislative chamber, and that gesture was generously reciprocated…

4. "This man talks like a man who is constantly under the influence of some substance and perhaps possessed as he employs the language of a tout with no civility. He is probably constantly excited and incensed by the fact of having his first opportunity to find himself in the corridors of power." Senate spokesperson, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi in response to Sagay's scathing criticism.

Immaturity in high places.

5. "The Buhari administration has done nothing. They deploy propaganda and lies at a professional level." - former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The former president appeared to still be smarting from his loss to President Buhari in 2015 and lashed out at some of the veiled jabs made at his administration by the presidency.

6. "Let me tell you today that if Baba said he is going to contest in 2019, I swear to Allah, I will go before him and kneel and tell him that 'Baba I am grateful for the opportunity you gave me to serve your government as a minister but Baba just like you know I will support only Atiku because he is my godfather' if Atiku said he is going to contest."

In one of the biggest moments of Nigerian politics in 2017, a serving cabinet minister, Aisha Alhassan, endorsed a potential rival, Atiku Abubakar, to her principal's possible re-election bid, and even promised to quit to drive home her point.

Oh, the drama!

7. "No matter where we go, our hearts are always at home. It's not different for Alh. Atiku Abubakar. Home for him is PDP. Wherever he goes, just like footballers on loan, who can decide to stay or return home, Atiku always returns home, just that this time, he's returned to his vomit." - Lauretta Onochie

President Buhari's Personal Assistant on Social Media, Lauretta Onochie has been designated the president's attack dog on social media, and her reaction to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar's resignation from the ruling All Progressives' Congress (APC) is one of 2017's highlight.

8. "God has answered the prayers of the weaker Animals, The Hyenas and the Jackals will soon be sent out of the kingdom. We strongly believe in the prayers and support of the weaker animals. Long live the weaker animals, Long live Nigeria."

There's no denying the people's great love and admiration for the First Lady, but she doesn't manufacture great moments quite as well as our former love, Dame Patience Jonathan.

However, she hasn't shied away from her fair share of gems, famously trading cryptic messages with Senator Shehu Sani on Facebook in July.

Nigerians were not amused with being represented as weaker animals.

9. "So I want you people to tell me what my offences are so that I can adjust. If I know my offence, I will definitely apologise, but should someone accuse me wrongly, go and ask Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, ask Jonathan, they were once President of this country, one ended up in the grave, another ended up in Otuoke." - Nasir El-Rufai.

Kaduna State governor, El-Rufai, does not back down from a fight, and he showed that by making a distasteful callback to one of Nigeria's most painful political events.

10. "Hunger and poverty have no political party, hunger and poverty have no religion. To have brought people to discuss on the line of APC or PDP is not correct because the poor PDP man and the poor APC man all go to the same market." - Senator Dino Melaye.

Hate his guts all you want, but Melaye gave Nigerians the most relatable quote of 2017.

If this was a quote competition, he'd be the winner.