Reports on a bill proposing mandatory voting for Nigerians during elections dominate the frontpages.
Daily Independent reports that President Bola Tinubu will travel to Rome, Italy, on Saturday to attend the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, following an invitation from the new pontiff. The newspaper says Tinubu has approved the establishment and recruitment of forest guards to secure 1,129 woodland across the country.The Nation reports that the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has sealed the premises of an illegal entity operating under the name Community Crime Prevention Initiative of Nigeria (CCPIN) in Aba, Abia state. The newspaper says the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) secured the conviction of 10 Thai sailors for trafficking cocaine into Nigeria.Daily Trust reports that former vice-president Atiku Abubakar says the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP) are part of the coalition discussions against Tinubu’s re-election. The newspaper says gunmen have abducted James Ogunyanda, a traditional ruler in Kogi state.The Punch reports that the APC has dismissed Abubakar’s claim that its members are joining a coalition to unseat Tinubu in 2027. The newspaper says the Lagos state Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has written INEC over the emergence of three LP factions before the July 12 LGA poll.Nigerian Tribune reports that a federal high court in Lagos has convicted 10 Thai sailors of trafficking 32.9kg of cocaine from Brazil to Nigeria. The newspaper says the house of representatives has resolved to investigate the technical error that compromised the results of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).ThisDay reports that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) says it plans to increase active oil rigs from 36 to 50 by 2025. The newspaper adds that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says Nigeria’s headline inflation rate slightly dropped to 23.71 percent in April 2025 – down from 24.23 percent in March.Blueprint reports that Tinubu has reiterated the need for collaboration and stronger ties among African countries. The newspaper says the senate has constituted a planning committee to organise a high-level summit on national security.Daily Sun reports that a bill proposing mandatory voting in elections for eligible Nigerians has scaled second reading in the house of representatives. The newspaper says the ECOWAS Court of Justice has ordered Nigeria to release Moses Abiodun, who has been detained since 2008 without formal charges or trial.