BREAKING NEWS, Winners & Losers
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THE year 2016 has its own fair shares of winners and losers. As the year was drawing to an end, the issue of winners and losers was more dramatic in many places and bloody in others.
For instance, in Rivers State the legislative elections into state and federal constituencies were tainted with bloody violence in which two policemen and two civilians were killed in the elections and several other persons, sustained injuries.
That notwithstanding, winners and losers still emerged. The state ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, remained the biggest winner with two senatorial seats, while the All Progressives Congress, APC, won one senate seat. Osinachukwu Ideozu and George Sekibo, candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, emerged winners of the of the Rivers West and East senatorial districts election held on Saturday, December 10.
Magnus Abe, candidate of the APC, won in Rivers South East, the third senatorial district. He defeated Olaka Nwogu of the PDP by a wide margin.
Earlier, in the gubernatorial elections which held in Edo State on Wednesday, September 28, Godwin Obaseki of the APC, was the winner. The loser was Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the PDP.
Rotimi Akeredolu of the APC was also the winner of the Ondo State governorship election held on Saturday, November 26, while Eyitayo Jegede of the PDP was the major loser.
Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, was a winner on Friday, December 9,as the Nigerian Supreme Court affirmed him as the rightful candidate of the PDP in the election held in 2015. Joe Agi, also of the PDP, had asked the court to sack Ayade over false declaration of age, emerged the loser as Agi could not prove the allegation against the governor.
Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was a loser on Thursday, December 15, as the Senate formally rejected his confirmation on the post. The Senate said there were some damning security reports against the EFCC boss.
Eheneden Erediauwa, a former prince, was a big winner on Thursday, October 20, he was crowned the 40th Oba of Benin. The new Oba received his staff office from Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, amidst jubilation, merriments and glamour which pervaded the occasion.
On the international scene, Britain voted on Thursday, June 23, in a referendum to pull out European Union. British voters went to the polls to cast their vote in the historic EU referendum. Brexit supporters won the referendum by 52 percent to unionists’ 48 percent.
Following his failure to retain Britain in the EU, David Cameron, Conservative, prime minister, became a loser. He stepped down from office in July 13, to pave way for Theresa May to take over as PM.
Antonio Guterres, a former prime minister of Portugal was a winner on October 13. On the day, the General Assembly of the United Nations appointed him as the new secretary general. Guterres will succeed Ban Ki-moon when he steps down on December 31. He will become the world’s top diplomat from January 1, 2017 and hold the post for the next five years. The Portuguese was his country’s prime minister from 1995 to 2002 and the UN high commissioner for refugees from June 2005 to December 2015.
In the United States, Donald Trump, an estate business tycoon, won the race to the White House despite media speculations that he was going to lose to Hillary Clinton, former United States secretary of state. Trump was the winner in the election, held on Tuesday, November 2, while Clinton was the loser.
Yahya Jammeh, president of the Gambia for 22 years, was a loser in the election presidential election held on December 1. Initially, Jammeh admitted defeat and congratulated Adama Barrow, the winner.
But a week later, and in a dramatic U-turn, Jammeh gave the world some reasons for concern when he said he was convinced that the election was rigged in favour of his opponent.
Barrow had won 222,708 votes or 43.34 of votes cast, while President Jammeh got 208,487 or 39.6 percent of the votes. Mama Kandeh, a third candidate, won 89,768 or 17.1 percent.
While the situation could be said to hanging in the balance, Ghana had no problem resolving its electoral issue. Nana Akufo-Addo, a 72-year-old veteran politician of the New Patriotic Party, NPP, was the winner of the presidential election held in Ghana on Wednesday, December 7. The loser was the incumbent President John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress, NDC, who was seeking a second term in office. Mahama has since conceded defeat.
After 32 years, Enugu Rangers won the 2015/2016 Nigeria Professional Football League season after defeating El-Kanemi Warriors 4-0, on October 2.
Nico Rosberg claimed his first Formula 1, world title to beat Lewis Hamilton, defending champion to second place in November. Roseberg scored 385 points as against Hamilton’s 380 points.
A few days later, the German champion announced his retirement from the sport.
But Rosberg held on to emulate his father Keke – the 1982 world championship winner – and secure the 2016 World Championship crown.
On February 26, Gianni Infantino, a Swiss lawyer, became the new FIFA president having won the election on the second ballot. He got 115 votes to beat Sheikh Salman al-Khalifa who got 88.
In June and against all odds, Leicester City FC, won the English Football League for the first time in the history of the league.
In the Rio Paralympics held in September, Nigerian representatives won eight gold, two silver and two bronze medals. The Nigerian Paralympics team emerged as the best in Africa. The Nigerian Paralympics team also did far better its counterpart in the normal Olympics, also held in Rio in August, where Nigeria got a bronze medal in football.
In the Paralympics, China was the overall winner with 239 medals, while Britain came second with 147 medals.
In the Olympics, the United States was the overall winner with 121 medals, followed by Britain with 67 medals.
— Jan 2, 2017 @ 01:00 GMT
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