Year in Review: Top 10 news stories in Nigeria in 2018, according to Google Trends

Year in Review: Top 10 news stories in Nigeria in 2018, according to Google Trends

The biggest news stories in 2018, being the year before the general elections, mostly border on politics. The security challenges the country is facing, strike actions, etc. also make it to the top news in the outgoing year.

As the Year 2018 gradually folds up, Legit.ng presents a list of the top 10 biggest news in 2018, according to Google Trends.

1. Osun Elections

On the list of the biggest news stories in Nigeria in 2018 is the hotly contested gubernatorial election in Osun state. The election, keenly contested by the candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Gboyega Oyetola, and the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, ran to second as the first ballot was declared inconclusive.

The September 22 gubernatorial election declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a result of the slim margin between the votes polled between Senator Adeleke of the PDP and Oyetola of the APC.

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INEC, in the evening of Thursday, September 27, officially declared Oyetola as the winner of the election.

At the end of the tally of votes, the APC candidate scored a total of 255,505 votes while the PDP candidate scored a total of 255,023 votes.

READ ALSO: Amosun shuns APC reconciliation meeting

2. Ekiti Elections

The July 14 governorship election in Ekiti state saw the candidate of the APC dislodging the PDP, the then ruling party. Amidst unending drama by the former governor of the state, Ayodele Fayose, the candidate of the APC, Kayode Fayemi defeated the PDP candidate, Olusola Eleka, who was also Fayose’s deputy.

3. PDP Presidential Primaries

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)'s National Convention started on Saturday, October 6 ended in the afternoon of Sunday, October 7. The opposition party's bigwigs and delegates stormed Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital for the make or mar convention and presidential primary where they elected former vice president Atiku Abubakar to slug it out with President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019. Though there were reported incidents of vote buying among the delegates, the major opposition party said the election was free and fair. Also, none of the co-contestants has voiced out any grievance concerning the conduct of the primary.

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2023: APC closes sale of N100m nomination forms, rakes N2.58bn

4. ASUU Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Sunday, November 4, announced that it has begun an indefinite strike action following the inability of the federal government to respond to their demands. ASUU said its strike would be total as all federal and state varsities would join the strike. Though the federal government and the leadership of ASUU have reportedly reached a partial agreement, the strike is still ongoing.

5. NLC Strike/Minimum Wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) declared an indefinite warning strike to press the Buhari administration to adopt a new minimum wage for workers.

The strike started at the midnight of Wednesday, September 26. Its sister labour group, the Trade Union Congress, had earlier on Tuesday, September 25, announced it would begin strike from the early hours of Thursday, September 27, following the federal government’s failure to honour its ultimatum on the new minimum wage.

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2023: INEC reacts as political parties seek adjustment of elections timetable

The labour unions are asking for N30,000 minimum wage while state governors are unwilling to pay up to the specified amount.

6. Offa Robbery

The city of Offa in Kwara state was thrown into a state of confusion on Thursday, April 5, as heavily armed men raided some banks and shot sporadically leading to chaos among residents and customers.

Before launching their attacks on the banks, the robbers were said to have invaded the Offa divisional police station on entering the ancient town. There, they killed some policemen including a female personnel. Numbering about 15, the robbers reportedly arrived the town in different vehicles and also snatched motorcycles to carry out their escape. The police are still investigating the deadly robbery.

7. Kaduna Crisis

Kaduna for the most part of 2018 was embroiled series of crisis: communal clashes, bandits attacks, religious violence, etc. The violence got to a peak that the Kaduna state government imposed a 24-hour curfew on Kaduna town and environs, with immediate effect.

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BREAKING: Prominent northern APC senator joins presidential race, picks up N100m nomination forms

Governor Nasir El-Rufai stated that decision was taken in the best interest of the state. The curfew has since been suspended.

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8. Lagos APC Primaries

The APC primaries in Lagos state was one of the most hotly contested in 2018. The incumbent governor, Akinwumi Ambode lost the second term bid to one of his aides, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Governor Ambode lost the re-election bid allegedly because he fell out with his political god-father, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

9. Royal Wedding

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was held on 19 May 2018 in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in the United Kingdom. The groom, Prince Harry, is a member of the British royal family; the bride, Meghan Markle, is an American and former actress. The royal wedding is one the most talked about in 2018.

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After Tunde Bakare, another popular pastor obtains APC presidential nomination forms

10. Atiku Running Mate

Shortly after emerging the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku, after several consultations, chose the former governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi, as his running mate. The choice of Obi, amidst other relevant options, is one of the most talked about in Nigeria’s political discourse in 2018.

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