Welcome to Friday’s roundup of Nigerian newspaper headlines, accompanied by our advocacy-focused calls on issues that impact citizens.

1. Daily Trust: How Rivers Peace Deal Collapsed Again

Daily Trust reports that the peace brokered by President Bola Tinubu among key political actors in Rivers State has again collapsed, as the State House of Assembly yesterday commenced impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu.

Our Take: Rivers State deserves governance, not endless political wrestling. Leaders should drop the power games, pause the impeachment rituals, and remember that roads, schools and livelihoods do not improve through ego clashes. Politics is not a soap opera with weekly episodes; it is about people’s lives. It is time to put the people first and let peace work for once.

2. The Guardian: Politicians Scrambling for Power While Nigerians Fall Into Poverty, Obi Laments

Former governor of Anambra State and 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has sounded the alarm over Nigeria’s worsening poverty crisis, saying the country is falling behind its peers while the political elite remain consumed by internal power struggles.

Our Take: This is a moment for President Bola Tinubu, the National Assembly, state governors and party leaders to pause the musical chairs of power and face the hunger in the room. As Peter Obi has warned, Nigerians cannot eat party structures or survive on political calculations while food prices rise daily. Leadership should shift from endless positioning to policies that put food on tables, grow incomes and protect the poor. Politics should not be a full-time sport while poverty does the real damage.

3. Punch: FG earmarks N1.7tn in 2026 budget for unpaid contractors

The federal government says it has budgeted the sum of N1.7 trillion in the 2026 Appropriation Bill to settle outstanding debts owed to contractors for capital projects executed in 2024.

Our Take: While the N1.7 trillion provision is a welcome admission that contractors are not magicians who build with hope, the Federal Government must ensure the money leaves the budget pages and enters real bank accounts. Ministries, the Budget Office and the National Assembly should fast-track transparent payments and stop turning contractors into long-term creditors of the state.