Index to Nigerian Newspapers

The Senate re-amended the 2021 Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill to accommodate the direct, indirect and consensus mode of electing candidates by political parties. Clause 84(3) requires that all aspirants are given equal opportunity of being voted for by members of the party, while Clause 84(4) requires that a National Convention be held for the ratification of the candidate with the highest number of votes. The amendment followed a motion for its re-committal to the Committee of the Whole. Members of the House of Representatives expunged clause 84 (2) of the bill to incorporate a fresh stipulation that allows political parties to adopt direct and indirect primary methods of nominating candidates for election. A member of the House, Awaji-Inombek Abiante, alleged new clauses have been inputted into the bill to ensure President Buhari rejects it. The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, denied the allegation, saying nothing was included in the bill. The bill was passed despite the opposition.

The Federal Government has appealed to developed nations for technology transfer to help Nigeria stop gas flaring, as Nigeria produces more gas than oil. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, declared open the National Conference on Strengthening the Implementation of the Voluntary Principle on Security and Human Rights in Nigeria, while the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, reiterated its commitment to ensuring implementation of the dedicated 0.5% of Nigeria's GDP to research and innovation. Onyeama said the relationship between host communities and the extractive sector, particularly the petroleum sector, has been frosty due to pollution of the environment. He urged the international community to pause the bid to defund fossil fuel projects. The Co-chair, Nigeria Working Group on the Voluntary Principle on Security and Human Rights, Dr. Joel Bisina, said it is the obligation of the government to promote and preserve the well-being of its citizens. The co-chair concluded that the Voluntary Principles serves multiple purposes of promoting human rights, respecting the business environment, conflict de-escalation in the business environment and creating an investment-friendly country reputation profile. President Muhammadu Buhari had declared that a minimum of 0.5% of the GDP would be allocated to research and innovation in order to accelerate development. Nigeria is endowed with abundant natural and human resources, but is still underdeveloped.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it will not release the 2023 general election timetable until the Electoral Act Amendment Bill is signed into law. President Muhammadu Buhari had withheld assent to the bill due to controversies surrounding the mode of primaries by parties. Yakubu also announced that 8,260,076 eligible Nigerians have commenced the online pre-registration, completed the registration physically or applied for a transfer to new voting locations, replacement of their Permanent Voters' Cards (PVCs) or updated their voter information records. He warned parties to ensure a transparent and rancour-free primary. The Ekiti governorship primaries have been held in the last four days, with seven political parties choosing the last day for their primaries. However, no party has submitted its list of aspirants, the composition of its electoral panel, or the register of members or list of delegates. The Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and the Chairman of Action Democratic Party (ADP) have called on the National Assembly and the executive to quickly resolve the contentious issues and pass the new Electoral Act Amendment Bill, which should be signed into law by the President.

Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), a former head of state of Nigeria, has cautioned that the country's mounting suffering could spark a new national firestorm worse than the 2020 #EndSARS protests. He said that over 80 million Nigerians are still living in unnecessary poverty and that unemployment and underemployment are still at historic highs. He also issued a warning about the impending sharp increase in fuel prices, which will put many more people in poverty. The demographic groups most impacted by the grim economic prognosis are young people and women, and if the grievances of these groups are not carefully controlled, they might easily explode into a national firestorm. In Nigeria, where 350,000 people have died and three million people live under insecurity, the proliferation of weaponry is a big contributor.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged Nigerians to disregard claims by National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmed Bola Tinubu, that Permanent Voters' Cards (PVCs) have an expiry date. Chief Technical Adviser to the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Bolade Eyinla, said that the PVCs issued in recent years remain valid for all elections conducted by INEC, urging Nigerians not to attempt re-registration. Chief Press Secretary to INEC, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said that double registration is an offence under our laws, and that once a name appears on the National Register of Voters, it stays there permanently. The number of fresh names in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) is 5,027,204, and the commission is undertaking a comprehensive cleaning up of the voter register to remove underage persons who may attempt to vote during the 2023 elections.