Index to Nigerian Newspapers

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and several political parties have strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu's administration for failing to practice inclusive governance, pointing to a persistent pattern of uneven political appointments that favor certain regions over others and violate the constitutional principle of federal character. Although the presidency attempted to defend its record by releasing a geographical breakdown of appointments, the list faced immediate backlash for being incomplete and omitting key high ranking officials from the South West region, which critics argue only exposed deep seated regional imbalance and nepotism. Opposition leaders warned that promoting such ethnocentrism and favoritism in a diverse country like Nigeria threatens national unity, peace, and stability, cautioning that the administration's exclusionary approach is pushing the nation toward unnecessary division.

The Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum, led by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, has scheduled an emergency meeting in Delta State to address escalating internal turmoil within Nigeria's main opposition party. The intervention follows a chaotic Board of Trustees session in Abuja that turned physical due to conflicting claims over the National Secretary position by Samuel Anyanwu and Sunday Ude-Okoye, both backed by differing appellate court orders. Amid persistent factional strife lingering from the 2023 elections, acting National Chairman Umar Damagum and Board of Trustees Chairman Adolphus Wabara reprimanded ambitious party leaders for fueling division, while assuring stakeholders that the critical National Executive Committee meeting will proceed in February to restore order, even as the ruling All Progressives Congress publicly mocked the opposition's internal dysfunction.

Tensions in Rivers State have escalated following a Supreme Court judgment that nullified the recent local government elections and triggered a political showdown between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly. In response to an ultimatum given by lawmakers for the governor to resubmit the state budget, prominent Ijaw groups, including the Ijaw National Congress and the Ijaw Youths Council, strongly warned against any attempts to impeach Governor Fubara, cautioning that his removal could disrupt peace and cripple crude oil production in the Niger Delta region. Meanwhile, the state electoral commission announced plans to schedule new local government elections, while local officials elected back in 2015 are simultaneously seeking to resume office following a separate appellate court ruling, prompting calls from development agencies for restraint and peaceful dialogue.