NRTC WEEKLY: Top 5 trending stories across the country this week

It’s another edition of NRTC WEEKLY Roundup — in this week’s edition, we are focusing on five trending stories across the country.

As usual, the stories will cut across the top five beats in our media organization, NRTC [your one-stop hub for rich and reliable content covering entertainment, sports, politics, business, and more].

As we all know, a day can’t pass without trending stories and we have tracked many of them for you this week. Why not scroll down and treat yourself? 

ALSO READ: NRTC WEEKLY: Top 5 trending stories across the country this week 

Sport: Messi fails to reach another UCL quarter-final, politics: Battle of SANs begins at tribunal; business: Suffering as naira scarcity continues; metro: Lagos BRT and Train clash and entertainment: Again, celebrities endorsed governorship candidates are the stories NRTC WEEKLY will be discussing. 

Politics: The battle of SANs begins at the tribunal

On last week’s NRTC WEEKLY episode, we said the interesting time is now as Presidential candidates had begun approaching the court of law to claim their stolen mandate.

 

A court session (Photo credit: NRTC Library)

Since the candidates had filed cases at the Election Petition Tribunal, Nigerians have been waiting for the commencement of the cases to start, but it seems it’s playing soon as candidates had hired a legal team of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs).

ALSO READ: NRTC WEEKLY: Top 5 trending stories across the country this week 

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar hired 19 SANs to challenge the All Progressive Congress APC candidate Victory at the election petition tribunal. 

The SANs will be challenging the victory of Ahmed Bola Tinubu in the just concluded February 25 presidential election. 

The team which was headed by a seasoned litigation and commercial lawyer, JK Gadzama will establish the claim of illegality in the election and reclaim his mandate.

In the same vein, APC appointed a team of highly qualified and experienced thirteen SANs to represent it at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

According to a statement by Ahmad El-Marzuq, APC National Legal Adviser, the team comprised legal luminaries with vast experience in election petition matters, constitutional law, and litigation and will be led by Prince Lateef Fagbemi.

El-Marzuq said Fagbemi had successfully handled various high-profile election matters and other landmark cases.

According to a report, the candidate of APC, Tinubu was reported to have constituted a legal team of 49 lawyers led by a legal icon and one-time President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Wole Olanipekun to defend him against Obi, Atiku. 

However, the Labour Party National Secretary, Umar Farouk, told The PUNCH that they have more than 20 SANs that are willing to challenge Tinubu’s victory.

He disclosed that the lawyers who are currently working are offering services for the renewal and emergence of a new Nigeria. 

NRTC WEEKLY findings revealed that this was not the first time Nigeria Presidential Election will be ending in court but this one Nigerians took a new dimension.

To Nigerians, the line of legal teams of SANs to defend the candidates in court is strange in the history of election petition tribunals in the country.

Some opined that it’s the time for lawyers to enjoy and make money from politicians. 

“They’re spending the money they’ve embezzled from the county because if not, why do they’ve to go to court? 

“This court case will truly tell on the winner’s performance when he eventually resumes office because all his attention will be channelled to court instead of Nigerians.

“It’s high time for politicians to stop this court case and let peace reigns in the country. They should accept defeat and try another four years.” Some Nigerians said. 

Who’ll win the Tribunal, Appeal, and Supreme Court among the top three candidates?

Sport: Messi fails to reach another UCL quarter final

Argentina and Paris St. Germany F.C. player, Lionel Messi, has again failed to qualify for the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League.

 

Photos showing years Messsi fails to reach UCL quarterfinal (Photo Credit: Facebook)

Messi and PSG lost 2:0 to Bayern Munich of Bundesliga this week making it two times the seven times a Ballon d’Or winner had lost to Bayern Munich. Since he joined PSG, a France club, he has lost at the Round of 16 two times, the first to Spain club, Real Madrid and Bayern.

Messi crashed out of the Round of 16 six times with Barcelona before joining PSG. The forward had not reached the quarter-final of the UEFA Champions League since 2015.

Messi and PSG’s loss to Bayern Munich this week bring up the argument “who’s the real GOAT”

Last week, NRTC WEEKLY stated that Cristiano Ronaldo of Al-Nassr, a Saudi Arabia league, and Messi’s fans took to their social media handles to express excitement as the two legends broke and made new records. 

GOAT is not new and if you haven’t heard ‘GOAT’, perhaps you’re not watching football or not on social media or walking into an argument between two or more football fans on the street, room, or anywhere, just name it. 

Having crashed out of this year’s UEFA Champions League, Ronaldo fans berated the striker, saying he’s finished and his fans should not be comparing him with their GOAT.

They added that Ronaldo can’t lose eight Rounds of 16 games in a role as Messi. They further enjoined the PSG striker fans to advise their GOAT to retire from football. 

Reacting, Messi fans berated Ronaldo for failing to make the UEFA Champions League this season after his team crashed out at the group stage.

“Our GOAT won the 2022 Best FIFA Awards after leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar and your GOAT only won the Saudi Arabia League player of the month for February.

“This is enough to justify who’s the real GOAT among the two.” The fans’ words. 

NRTC WEEKLY reached out to football fans who are neither fans of the two greatest of all time (GOAT) and just that the argument can only end after the two players hanged boots. 

“That’s when this argument can only end and as long as they remain in the game; breaking existing records in football history, their fans won’t stop,” they told NRTC WEEKLY 

Business: Suffering as naira scarcity continues

Despite the Supreme Court judgement, traders are still adamant on the old notes, NRTC WEEKLY findings revealed.

CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele presenting the newly redesigned naiara to President Buhari (Photo credit: NRTC Library)

The newly redesigned currency or notes is not new to Nigerians and since the pegging of the deadline for its validity, Nigerians have been suffering in getting the new N200, N500, and N1000.

NRTC WEEKLY investigation revealed that many businesses had shut down — many have died. Nigerians endured the headship since the new currency palava commenced expecting there will be an excess of new currency in circulation after the Elections but their expectations hit the rock. 

Last week, the apex court [Supreme Court] gave a verdict that the old notes will remain legal tender till December 31, 2023, and Nigerians can start spending both the new and old currency together.

Our findings show that traders and some business owners are still rejecting the old notes. 

“We have not heard anything from the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, unless he addresses Nigerians, we can not collect the money. 

“Also, President Muhammadu Buhari hasn’t said anything about the money — if we collect it from you, which bank will collect it from us?” Traders and Nigerians stated.

NRTC WEEKLY confirmed that traders and some Nigerians feared Godwin Emefiele and Buhari more than the Supreme Court judgement.

Their fears show that there’s no respect for the Rule of Law. 

“What’s the rule of law? Have you seen any political officeholders respect court judgement? We can’t follow the judgement as well unless these two say something about it.

“Nobody is respecting the law and I can’t say because I want to respect the court now, I’ll now enter into debt or sold my goods and collect old notes.

“Nothing is working in this country.” Traders told NRTC WEEKLY. 

Recall that the apex court last Friday nullified the Federal Government’s naira redesign policy, declaring it as an affront to the 1999 Constitution.

Delivering the judgement, Justice Emmanuel Agim, said the policy has led to some people engaging in trade by barter in this modern age in a bid to survive, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari’s disobedience to the February 8 order was a sign of dictatorship.

The court added that the unconstitutional use of powers by President Buhari on Naira Re-designing breached the fundamental rights of the Nigerian citizens in various ways, saying such use of powers is not permitted under democracy and in a society like Nigeria.

The judgement further stated that the unlawful use of executive powers by the President inflicted unprecedented economic hardship on the citizens by denying them ownership of and access to their money.

Metro: Lagos BRT and Train clashes 

Tears flowed freely on Thursday in Lagos as a moving train rammed into a state bus conveying civil servants to work at the PWD bus stop in the Ikeja area of the state on Thursday morning. 

As of press time, six persons have been confirmed dead with many sustaining various degrees of injuries. They’re currently receiving treatment at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja.

Governor of Lagos State, Sanwo-Olu (Photo credit: NRTC Library)

Barely 24 hours, Governor Sanwo-olu suspended his campaign as well as directed that national flags be flown at half-mast to mourn the victims of the train crash for the next three days.

At the time of filing this report, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika directed the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau experts to commence an immediate investigation into the accident.

This was contained in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Affairs, James Odaudu.

Reactions have trailed the incidents, with many attributing the fault to the state bus driver. 

“We still don’t comprehend what led to the accident but we implored the state government to get to the root of the matter.

“This is strange and it shouldn’t be now everybody is struggling with naira scarcity and other issues in the country,” netizens added. 

Entertainment: Again, celebrities endorsed governorship candidates 

When the public is yet to swallow all that was spotted by celebrities in the entertainment industry, some actors and actresses have again begun the steps to fill Nigerians with another gist.

Last two weeks, some celebrities have shown shame of themselves on social media due to their choice of presidential candidates. Some of their secrets were disclosed by their closest pals in the industry, but it looks that these celebrities are shameless.

Voters on queue to vote (Photo credit: NRTC Library)

Even though the moment offers us the opportunity to know who many of them are, they [the celebrities] should exhibit some level of maturity.

“Even if they didn’t consider their fans, they should consider their parents, children, and future.”

NRTC WEEKLY found out that as the gubernatorial election is just a week away, some of these celebrities have started exposing their secrets to the public.

Our findings show that some of these celebrities are supporting the Labour Party candidate for the Lagos State guber seat, and some throwing their weight behind PDP and APC.

“They should emulate some celebrities who are not partisans. We have some who don’t do politics, yet they are doing fine.

“These should emulate them and stop showing or disgracing themselves via social media pages.” Netizens said. 

Here, the cotton of this week’s episode of NRTC WEEKLY will drop. Join us for another edition next week as we take you around the trending lists in Nigeria.