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Pulse List 2018: The Top 10 political quotes that got all of Nigeria talking

These are the top 10 political quotes of 2018 in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country.

Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose

In 2018, Nigerian politicians went one better—they gave their words life by using them to attack the other camp and curry pity. There were carefully worded proverbs and there were insults tweeted and shared as press statements to the email boxes of journalists and dispatched for maximum impact.

We take a look back at a year shaped by words…

1. Police spokesperson calls Benue Governor Ortom a drowning man

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"It is irresponsible for the Governor of a State to have called for the resignation of the IG because he's supposed to be the one to resign first for not being able to sustain peace in his State.

"You don't join issues with a drowning man…"

--Police spokesperson Jimoh Moshood, replies Benue Governor Samuel Ortom who had called for the resignation of Police boss Ibrahim Idris.

Idris had called for the anti-grazing law in Benue to be suspended, sparking outrage from Ortom.

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2. Senator Shehu Sani says he’s no rabbit

"I heard that senators were promised juicy carrots and I am not a rabbit. But what I know very well is the PDP that promised the automatic tickets. The APC said there is no automatic ticket and I believe I am very much prepared for any form of primaries."

--In August, Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna central) denies claims that he would leave the APC if he isn’t handed an automatic ticket.

In October, Sani dumped the APC for the People's’ Redemption Party (PRP) after being denied the senatorial ticket on the APC platform.

3. President Buhari says Nigerian youths are lazy

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“More than 60 percent of the population is below 30, a lot of them haven't been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria has been an oil producing country, therefore, they should sit and do nothing, and get housing, healthcare, education free”.

--On April 18, while speaking at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster, UK, Buhari said Nigerian youths would rather sit down and do nothing.

His remark sparked national outrage from Nigeria’s predominantly youthful population.

4. Senator Akpabio tenders resignation as Senate Minority Leader

“This letter is to formally inform you of my resignation as the Senate Minority Leader with effect from August 4, 2018.

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"Let me thank the Senate minority leadership, our distinguished colleagues and our great party, the PDP, for the opportunity to lead the Caucus in the last three years."

--Akpabio vacates his position as Minority Leader after switching camp to the APC, calls for others who have also defected, to vacate their official positions.

5. Ambode tears into governorship contender Sanwo-Olu

“This particular aspirant as you all know, you can go and check, the records are there. This is somebody that has been arrested for spending fake American Dollars in a nightclub in America and he's been detained for months with mugshots before all these campaign started.

“It's also known that he doesn't have the competence to do what he's been promoted for saying he is going to do, he doesn't have the competence to do what he is saying he can do. The records are there in Gbagada General Hospital, this is somebody that has been rehabilitated before….”

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---Lagos Governor Akinwunmi Ambode endures a meltdown on international television, rips into opponent Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as he addresses a world press conference, just days before the Lagos APC primary election which he lost.

6. Fayose announces his arrival at EFCC headquarters

“EFCC, I’m here”.

--After years of back and forth with the nation’s anti-graft agency, immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, arrives EFCC headquarters in Abuja with a T-Shirt bearing the words above, on Tuesday, October 16, 2018, bags packed for a sleep-over.

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He has since been granted bail.

7. Governor Yahaya Bello says he can literally die for Buhari

"I am an ardent supporter of President Muhammadu Buhari, who has said that we must stick to the 1999 Constitution and APC Constitution. If Buhari asks me to jump into fire, I will not hesitate to jump into it.”

--Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, expresses undying love for President Buhari.

8. First Lady Aisha criticizes her husband’s political party

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“It is disheartening to note that some aspirants used their hard earned money to purchase nomination forms, got screened, cleared and campaigned vigorously yet found their names omitted on Election Day. These forms were bought at exorbitant prices.

“All Progressives Congress (APC) being a party whose cardinal principle is change and headed by a comrade/ activist whose main concern is for the common man, yet, such impunity could take place under its watch. Given this development, one will not hesitate than dissociate from such unfairness, be neutral and speak for the voiceless.”

--Outspoken First Lady, Aisha Buhari, calls out governing APC for the conduct of its primary elections across the states.

9. Ademola Adeleke vows to floor the APC in court with ironclad evidence

”I don’t want the APC to know what we have on them until we get to court. I am more than confident. I will bringing them (evidence) one by one, gbagam, gbagam, gbagam.”

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--Senator Ademola Adeleke vows to retrieve a “stolen mandate” from the APC after losing September’s Osun governorship election to Gboyega Oyetola by the slimmest of margins.

10. President Buhari denies that he is a clone or body double.

“One of the questions that came up today in my meeting with Nigerians in Poland was on the issue of whether I‘ve been cloned or not. The ignorant rumours are not surprising — when I was away on medical vacation last year, a lot of people hoped I was dead.

“I can assure you all that this is the real me. Later this month I will celebrate my 76th birthday. And I’m still going strong!”

---Nigeria’s President Buhari refutes claims that he died during a London medical vacation in 2017 and was replaced by a look-alike or clone.

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BONUS

11. Fayose breaks down in tears

“I am in pains. I am in severe pains. I can’t turn this neck anymore. If anything happens to me, the Inspector General of Police should be held responsible”.

--Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose moaned through a cascade of tears,while propping his head with both hands, before the Ekiti governorship election of July, 2018.

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