Newspaper Headlines: Elections threatened by powers of returning officers, say SANs

The Punch reports that oil marketers have accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) of politicising the supply process of petrol and making vain promises amid a scarcity of the product. The newspaper says former President Olusegun Obasanjo said envy stopped Moshood Abiola, winner of the 1993 presidential election, from becoming president.

The Nation says Wole Olanipekun and Olisa Agbakoba, senior advocates of Nigeria, have raised concerns over certain provisions of the electoral act and the 1999 constitution capable of threatening the forthcoming elections. The newspaper reports that Rabiu Kwankwaso, presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), said the Labour Party (LP) was built on hype, ethnic and religious sentiments.

Daily Independent says Mohammed Dingyadi, minister of police affairs, said the latest assessment from police authorities shows that the level of corruption associated with officers has drastically reduced. The newspaper reports that Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, has raised the alarm over the ravaging Lassa fever in the state.

The Guardian reports that the perceived gap between the result and President Muhammadu Buhari’s $1 billion spending on anti-terrorism has elicited reactions from stakeholders. The newspaper says Buhari has approved the sum of N1.9 trillion for NNPCL to use for the reconstruction of 44 federal roads under the tax credit policy.

THISDAY says Buhari has extended the tenure of Usman Baba, inspector-general of police. The newspaper reports that Tunde Bakare, serving overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, has replied the presidential campaign council of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying scoring zero votes with his true identity in the primary election was an honour to him.