Pulse List 2018: The 10 biggest political winners and losers of the year

runs the rule on some of the biggest winners and losers of 2018 in the nation’s political scene.

WINNERS:

1. Gboyega Oyetola

This 64-year-old politician and former Chief of Staff to erstwhile Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola, was almost beaten at the ballot by a rampaging Senator Ademola Adeleke and the PDP during the Osun governorship election.

Eventually, Oyetola polled 255,505 votes against 255,023 votes for Adeleke, by the slimmest of margins following a rerun.

2. Kayode Fayemi

This former Ekiti Governor returned from Abuja to win the governorship election in his home state and a second term in office to boot.

Fayemi was up against incumbent Governor Ayodele Fayose, the PDP machinery and its candidate Kolapo Eleka, ahead of the election.

However, on July 15, 2018, the electoral commission announced Fayemi winner of the vote. The APC candidate polled 197,459 votes against the 178, 121 votes garnered by Eleka, to emerge Governor of Ekiti. It was a close shave.

3. Atiku Abubakar

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar trounced governors, former ministers, serving senators, a serving senate president and the political machinery of Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike, to win the PDP presidential ticket in October.

Atiku is also the most formidable opponent of the APC presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, ahead of the 2019 general elections.

A 2018 winner without a shadow of doubt.

4. Bukola Saraki

Nigeria’s Senate President arrived 2018 with a weight of corruption allegations and non-declaration of assets charges, dangling round his neck.

In July, the Supreme Court cleared Saraki of the charges, upheld his appeal and declared the evidence led by the prosecution as hearsay.

Saraki walks with a spring in his steps these days, as he plots Atiku’s victory at the ballot next year, in his capacity as the candidate’s campaign Director General.

Winner.

5. Babajide Sanwo-Olu

53-year-old Sanwo-Olu was relatively unknown before September of 2018. A month later, however, he was winning the APC Lagos governorship primary after defeating the incumbent Akinwunmi Ambode and he looks on his way to winning the governorship election in March 2019.

2018 was no doubt Sanwo-Olu’s year and he has his godfather Bola Tinubu and the APC grassroots structure in Lagos to thank for his fortunes during a remarkable year in his political career.

LOSERS

1. Ayodele Fayose

Fayose’s name wasn’t on the ballot as Ekiti voted in July. But it could well have been, for Fayose had an anointed candidate whom he propped to succeed him.

Except that it didn’t pan out quite like Fayose planned.

Kolapo Eleka lost the Ekiti governorship election and days before, Fayose lamentedthat he had been beaten, tear-gassed by security operatives and was “in serious pain”.

Fayose ended 2018 in EFCC custody and 2018 wasn’t quite his year.

2. Ademola Adeleke

The Senator representing Osun West senatorial district, Ademola Adeleke, went into the September governorship election certain of victory.

He charmed voters, one dance step and Davido concert at a time. However, he couldn’t quite pull off the victory he wanted, losing by the slimmest of margins.

Adeleke is contesting the outcome of that election in court, citing instances of irregularities.

He surely won’t look back at 2018 fondly.

3. Rochas Okorocha

The Imo State Governor is still sulking and ranting after the APC denied his son-in-law and handpicked candidate, Uche Nwosu, its governorship flag bearer ticket in that Southeast State.

Okorocha has been calling APC Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, all sorts of names since the governing party completed its primary elections.

Sore loser? Just maybe.

4. Ibikunle Amosun

Ogun State Governor Amosun, couldn’t get his handpicked candidate, Abiodun Akinlade, to win the APC governorship primary election.

He’s been aiming verbal darts at party Chairman Oshiomholesince the humiliation.

Amosun was no doubt one of 2018’s biggest losers.

5. Akinwunmi Ambode

He would hate 2018 for as long as he lives.

No one told Ambode that on the day he was picking up his N22.5 million nomination form in preparation for another governorship run, the powers that be in Lagos were picking up the same form for Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

From that moment, Ambode’s second term bid was dead in the water. He begged, sent people to beg on his behalf, ‘famzed’ godfather Bola Tinubu publicly, sent his wife to beg Tinubu on his behalf—but it was too little, too late for Ambode.

The verdict returned on Tuesday, October 2, 2018. It was the day Sanwo-Olu polled 970,851 votes, hundreds of thousands of votes more than Ambode's 72,901 votes, to win the APC Lagos governorship primary.

It was the day Ambode’s second term ambition crashed and burned.

2018 was one big ‘L’ for Ambode.