Welcome to Monday’s roundup of Nigerian newspaper headlines, where we scan the papers and then gently remind power that citizens are still awake.
1. Punch: Minority caucus, House clash over tax law probe
A bit of drama is playing out in the House of Representatives, as the Minority Caucus is not amused by efforts to brush aside an ad hoc committee probing alleged alterations to Nigeria’s tax laws. The committee’s chair, Afam Ogene, says calling the interim report ‘overtaken by events’ just because certified copies suddenly showed up is a slippery slope that rewards bad behaviour.
Our Take: Citizens should demand full public disclosure of the investigative process, insist that the ad hoc committee’s findings be formally debated on the House floor, and call for clear consequences if any official is found to have altered laws meant to govern everyone, not just those with access to certified copies. Nigerians must also demand timelines, transparency, and accountability, because in a democracy, laws are not magic documents that change shape when the lights go off.
2. The Guardian: ‘Nigeria’s Democracy Excludes Many Citizens from Justice, Governance’
Veteran activist Ayo Opadokun has once again pointed an accusing finger at Nigeria’s long flirtation with military rule, saying it has done more harm than good to the country’s development, while CDHR president Debo Adeniran argues that even under democracy, most Nigerians are still locked out of justice and basic rights.
Our Take: Citizens should demand serious constitutional reforms that make social and economic rights real, not decorative footnotes, and insist that governance finally serve the many rather than a revolving cast of uniforms and suits. Nigerians must ask for accountability for decades of failed leadership, civilian and military alike, and push for institutions strong enough to outlive strongmen.
3. The Guardian: Communities grapple with insecurity while governors grovel to Abuja
Nigeria’s hard economy is now made worse by growing insecurity, while many governors seem to be living and working from Abuja instead of the states they were elected to protect. Ordinary people are left to depend on prayers and poorly equipped vigilantes.
Our Take: Citizens should demand that governors return to their states, treat insecurity as an emergency rather than a press-release inconvenience, and prove that their oath of office extends beyond loyalty trips to Aso Villa. Nigerians must insist on transparent security plans, timely responses to kidnappings, support for victims’ families, and real accountability from state and federal representatives who go silent when lives are lost.
4. The Nation: States got N6.73tr from Federation Account in 11 months
Last year, states and local governments in Nigeria got a big boost from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), receiving a total of N6.73 trillion between January and November, almost 30 percent more than the N5.02 trillion shared during the same period in 2024. The monthly disbursements were steady, often topping half a trillion naira, starting with N498.49 billion in January, rising to N593.70 billion in February, dipping slightly in March and April, and then picking up again in the second half of the year.
Our Take: With FAAC handing out a record N6.73 trillion to states and local governments last year, citizens should demand to see exactly how this windfall is being spent and insist that these funds translate into real improvements in roads, schools, hospitals, and basic services. After all, if money can flow so freely from Abuja to state coffers, it should not be too much to ask that it trickle down beyond flashy press releases and official ceremonies.
