Gaddafi came first among 15 African leaders who were considered for the honour, Ghana’s former president, John Kuffor came second, while Nigeria’s former president, Olusegun Obasanjo came third in the race.
AFCO coordinator, Mr. Sina Odugbemi, said Gaddafi was honoured for his quest in uniting Africa. He said people may see the Libyan leader as a stubborn and controversial personality but "he is not corrupt".
The African Leader of the year award is a concept designed to promote good governance, transparency in government, popular acceptance and leadership in Africa . The maiden edition which is the award of the Year 2009 took a critical overview of these determining criteria in nominating and confirming the ultimate beneficiary of the award.
The award organiser said government should be people-focused and welfare driven, notwithstanding the type of government adopted or practiced. Anything short of this is an exercise in futility.
"Beyond the anti-corruption outcry of some African leaders, the criteria used to measure transparency in government include: The social gap that exists between government officials (elected and appointed) and the citizens."
Source: Allafrica