As part of its long standing tradition of recognising outstanding individuals and corporate organisations that have affected national development in positive ways, BusinessHallmark Newspaper, one of Nigeria’s foremost business and financial information providers, has named Senator John James Akpanudoedehe winner of its Year 2020 Outstanding Political Leadership Award.

The award is part of the weekly newspaper’s concept of People of the Year Awards, which is aimed at celebrating notable individuals and corporate organisations that contributed in productive ways to the advancement of the country.

The choice of the Akwa Ibom State born ace politician, the newspaper said in a letter addressed to him by a member of its Editorial Advisory Board and Co-Chair of its Public Policy Forum, Akogun (Dr.) Tola Adeniyi, is in recognition of his sterling qualities as a political leader and the important roles he has played in the entrenchment of democracy and good governance in the country.

According to Adeniyi, Akpanudoedehe has been “an active participant at the grassroots and involved with all major political movements in our country in the last three decades.

“Your dogged pursuit of good governance, conflict resolution and insistence on politics as a means of service to the people have marked you out as a role model. We therefore feel very privileged to bestow this honour on your person that it is very well deserved!”

Akpanudoedehe was Chairman of the Uyo Local Government and then chairman of Uyo Council before being elected to the Senate in 1999. In 1997, he won election as Senator for Uyo during the attempted return to democracy under General Sani Abacha. In 1999, he again ran for the Uyo Senatorial District on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) platform, and was elected. He held office until May 2003.

His has since continued to play active roles in the politics of Akwa Ibom State and the nation at large. He played critical roles in the emergence of both Obong Victor Attah and Senator Godswill Akpabio as governors of Akwa Ibom.

Other winners of the award this year include the Executive Governor of Rivers state, His Excellency Barrister Nyesom Wike, the Hon Minster of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu alongside other high net-worth individuals and organisations.

The award ceremony will take place at an elaborate Dinner on Sunday November 22, 2020 at the Civic Centre, Ozumba Mbadiwe Street, Victoria Island, Lagos at 6.00pm.