Welcome to today’s roundup of Nigerian newspaper headlines, accompanied by our advocacy-focused calls for government action on pressing issues that impact citizens.
1. The Guardian: New INEC Chairman Faces Pressure to Rebuild Trust after Flawed 2023 Elections
Opposition parties have urged the newly appointed chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Joash Ojo Amupitan, to prioritise public trust over political loyalty and restore confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system, which was severely damaged by controversies surrounding the 2023 general elections.
Our Take: Prof Amupitan, Nigerians are watching you closely, this is your moment to prove that INEC can rise above politics and actually deliver elections that do not require divine confirmation. You have inherited a system that left voters wondering if their ballots were counted or recycled, and now the task is yours to rebuild trust where faith has long expired. Show us that integrity is not extinct in public office, and let the people’s votes speak louder than the whispers of those who appointed you.
2. Punch: National Assembly probes NNPCL over $18 billion refineries spending
The House of Representatives on Thursday mandated its relevant committees to investigate the non-functionality of state-owned petroleum refineries in Port Harcourt, Warri and Kaduna despite the use of about $18 billion for their rehabilitation in the past two decades.
Our Take: It is high time the NNPCL stopped treating Nigeria’s refineries like pensioners, collecting billions in ‘rehabilitation’ funds while producing nothing but fumes of excuses. The National Assembly must go beyond its usual investigation rituals and ensure that those responsible for this $18bn magic show of vanishing results are held to account, because at this rate, even the refineries’ ghosts are tired of hearing about another turnaround.
3. Leadership: Nnaji’s Resignation: Rights Groups, Lawyers Demand Stringent Laws Against Forgery
Two prominent civil society organisations (CSOs), the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International Nigeria, have demanded stringent laws against forgery.
Their comments come after the resignation of the former Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Uche Nnaji.
Our Take: The National Assembly and security agencies must wake up from their screening slumber and enforce tougher laws that make document fraud a career-ending offence, not just a brief PR embarrassment. Public office should not come with a ‘print-your-own-qualification’ option because this is governance, not a cybercafé service.
