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

1. Punch: Presidency, opposition clash over alleged weaponising of EFCC

The opposition accused major national institutions, particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Nigeria Police and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, of being used as tools of political intimidation through selective enforcement against opposition figures. The Presidency, however, rejected the claims, with Special Advisor on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga describing them as scapegoating by failed aspirants and denying that the EFCC is being weaponised, insisting that politicians are freely joining the APC without coercion.

Our Take: If the government is confident that institutions are not being weaponised, it should prove it with openness rather than sarcasm, because trust is earned through accountability, not press statements that sound like campaign jingles from Aso Rock.

2. The Guardian: Nigeria’s Power Reform Stalls as Tariff Politics, N4trn Debt Deepen Sector’s Crisis

The Guardian reports that Nigeria’s electricity reform agenda is under renewed pressure due to tariff politics, structural weaknesses and a worsening liquidity crisis, according to a 14 December, 2025 policy brief by the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE).

Our Take: This warning should move beyond policy documents and land squarely on the desk of the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, who must now turn reform slogans into measurable action. If reform is truly ongoing, it should not look like a generator-powered déjà vu where policies circulate endlessly while darkness remains the only constant.

3. Vanguard: Allegations of A Terrorist: Two former governors fueling insecurity

Vanguard reports that notorious bandit leader Bello Turji has alleged that two former northern governors played roles in fuelling insecurity in the North, while confirming his participation in peace meetings with the Zamfara State government under a former governor but denying claims that he received N30 million or any material inducement.

Our Take: These allegations, whether false bravado or a glimpse into a deeper problem, require urgent and transparent action. The Federal Government, the Office of the National Security Advisor, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Nigeria Police should investigate and publicly clarify the facts, while the National Assembly’s security committees must demand accountability.