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

Entertainment: Celebrities candidates speak after defeat, football: another record by Goat’s, politics: governorship election tribunal, business: still on naira scarcity, metro: Ekweremadu and wife saga are the stories NRTC WEEKLY will be discussing.

Entertainment: Celebrities candidates speak after defeat

If there’s anything in this world to describe as sweet, victory should top the list and follow by what else humans feel is sweet.

In the history of Nigerian politics, even beyond the country, there are always losers and winners.Last week Saturday, we discussed 28 states where a governorship election will be held for a new governor to be elected for piling the affairs of the state for another four years. The election was held as stipulated.

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

As per Nigerian norms, violence marred the election but amidst the violence, winners emerged as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

NRTC WEEKLY gathered that Nollywood actresses and actors were among the candidates contesting for political offices in their respective states.

Tonto Dikeh, a popular Nollywood actress was contesting as deputy governor under the umbrella of African Democratic Congress (ADC) in River State while Funke Akindele was the deputy governorship candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State.

The duo lost to the main opposition parties. NRTC WEEKLY findings revealed that Dikeh and Akindele were not the only celebrities that lost the election; another celebrity also ate from the same breakfast pot.

Speaking after the defeat, the duo appreciated their supporters for trooping out to vote — expressing their readiness not to give up on politics. They vowed to contest in another election.

“Their courage is topnotch. They are celebrities and even come out to speak after being defeated. They deserved accolades because such had never happened in Nigeria’s history.“Netizens said.

Our findings further revealed that some Nigerians, especially netizens make jest of the celebrities for not winning while some praised them for contesting as well as summoned the courage to come out and speak after the election.

Politics: Governorship elections tribunal

Last week on the NRTC WEEKLY episode, we discussed the governorship and house of assembly elections where millions of Nigerians elected their new governors as well as lawmakers.

The election is over, winners have emerged but some parties are not satisfied with the outcome.Outcomes of Nigerian elections since the return to democracy had not been free and fair resulting in many candidates approaching the court starting from the tribunal to claim their stolen mandates.

NRTC WEEKLY found out that some governorship candidates, especially Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party in Lagos has vowed to challenge governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s victory in the just concluded governorship election in the state.

Rhodes-Vivour alleged foul play in the election which is the norm of Nigerian politics. Findings show that some candidates are preparing and doing everything possible to file a case at the tribunal before the deadline.

Recall that some weeks ago, NRTC WEEKLY wrote about the presidential election tribunal. Peter Obi of LP and Atiku Abubakar of PDP had approached the court to seek nullification of Ahmed Bolu Tinubu’s victory as president-elect.

“They’ve started to waste the country’s money which they’ve embezzled on court cases again. What’s court in the first place?

“They should just accept defeat and move on. There’s no need for a tribunal, appeal, or Supreme Court because it’ll affect the performance of elected governors. It’s high time for Nigerian politicians to wise up because politics is not about bringing desperado.” Some Nigerians said.

Business: Still on naira scarcity

For months, NRTC WEEKLY had been reporting how Nigerians have been groaning as scarcity of the newly redesigned naira hit hard.

Our findings for the past months show that many businesses are shutdown, and death records among others.

Upon the extension of the deadline that put a smile on the face of Nigerians after President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele bowed to pressure and ordered the old N200, N500, and N1000 naira notes to remain legal tender till December 31, 2023, Nigerians are still struggling to get the money.

Nigerians are frustrated over the nonavailability of the notes in circulation, NRTC WEEKLY investigation revealed that both the old and new notes are unavailable to Nigerians.

Most Nigerians who spoke with us lamented the stress they went through in getting the old notes in Banks, adding that some POS are not even dispensing.

“When they know the old notes will remain legal tender, they shouldn’t have stressed us.

“Now that they have asked us to start spending the money, we can’t find both the old and new. Our suffering is increasing every day.

“Many have died from this scarcity of naira, many lost jobs, etc which was as a result of disobedient to a court order.”Nigerians say.

The question NRTC WEEKLY will ask is “now that the old notes remain legal tender why Nigerians are finding it hard to see?”

Sport: Another record by Goat’s

The current international break for European qualification for Euro 2024 which will take place in Germany next summer began on Monday, March 20 with the GOATs in football history having broken yet another record.

NRTC WEEKLY weeks back wrote that GOAT is not a new phrase in the world and it’ll not leave soon until the two greatest of all time (GOAT) retire from football.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are the two GOATs the world currently recognizes. In the ongoing Euro 2024 qualifier competition, the duo made another history.

While Messi of Argentina scored his 800 career goals, the Portuguese striker, Ronaldo made history by breaking the record for the most international caps by a men’s player with his 197th appearance for Portugal.

The record broken by Ronaldo was formerly held by Bader Al-Mutawa Kuwait with 196 appearances.Apart from the record, Ronaldo became the only footballer to have scored 120 goals for a country as well as a player to have scored for his country every year.

NRTC WEEKLY found out that the argument will not end among the GOATs fans until the duo leaves the pitch for the young ones.

Metro: Ekweremadu and wife trafficking case

The case of former Nigeria Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; his wife Beatrice, is no longer news to Nigerians conversant with happenings in the country.

Ekweremadu and wife were arrested by men of the London Metropolitan Police on Thursday, June 23rd, 2022 for conspiring to bring a child to the UK for organ harvesting.

The arrest of the couple came shortly after the husband withdrew from the governorship race in Enugu State. Since their arrest, Nigerian government had tried everything possible to get them bailed but all proved abortive.

A few days ago, trouble arose for them after a six-week trial at the Old Bailey, as they were convicted of organ trafficking including their doctor. The verdict is said to be a first of its kind under the Modern Slavery Act.

Netizens after the judgement took to their social media to register their grievances. Some blasted the lawmaker for such a disgraceful act while some stated that it was a setup.

“Either it is set up or not, the lawmaker and his wife have disgraced Nigerians.”

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.