A national leader of the All Progress Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has emerged the 2015 ‘Man of the Year’ of one of the Nigeria’s fastest growing monthly magazine, Thinkers Magazine.
This information is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by the Company Secretary of Thinkers Communications Limited (publishers of Thinkers Magazine and the online-based Thinkers Newspaper), Hajiya Saratu Muhammad.
She said that Tinubu’s emergence as winner of the prized award followed a keenly contested nomination and selection process.
She stated that the award was instituted as part of the magazine’s activities towards celebrating outstanding individuals, who have distinguished themselves in their chosen areas of human endeavour and impacted positively on the lives of their countrymen and women.
“For this particular category, Man of the Year, a number of eminent Nigerians with remarkable track records of performance and industry were nominated.
“After a rigorous screening exercise by the Awards’ Board of Governors, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was subsequently and unanimously picked as the best person for the honour,’’ she said.
According to her, among the criteria for the prestigious annual honour are significant contributions made by the nominees to their community, state and nation in particular, and humanity in general.
She said the nominees’ virtues and quality, such as selflessness, integrity, compassion, commitment to a common cause, courage and audacity, were also considered.
She noted that although each and all the three personalities who made the final cut fulfilled the criteria in various measurers, the APC national leader triumphed on account of the huge significance, immense impact and historic nature of his contributions to national development and progress.
This, she emphasized, crystallized in the yeoman role which the former Lagos state helmsman played in the historic victory recorded by the ruling party in the last year’s general elections.
“In Nigeria, nay Africa, it is rare for an opposition party to defeat a ruling party as done by the APC in 2015.
“What makes Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s contributions particularly impressive is that, as far back as 2013, he had spearheaded the move to form an all-encompassing political party that can overcome the then ruling PDP.
“And then, against all odds and despite clear dangers to his safety and business interests, Tinubu helped secure victory for APC, particularly, during the presidential poll.
“We also took into cognizance the number of brilliant gentlemen and women whom Tinubu has groomed over the years and who occupy strategic positions in our polity today.
“The competence shown by these men and women in present and previous positions held has also shown that Tinubu is the ultimate Talent Hunter.
“In short, he is a true man of the people who fully deserves this honour.