Good morning, Nigeria! You’re welcome to the Lagos Post Online News Roundup of today’s top newspaper headlines for Monday, February 23rd, 2026.
Nigeria’s former Vice President and prominent member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has expressed serious concern over the alarmingly poor voter participation observed during Saturday’s FCT Area Council elections.
Reacting to the exercise, the former Vice President described the turnout, which averaged below 20 percent, with the Abuja Municipal Area Council recording a shocking 7.8 percent, as a damning verdict on the health of Nigeria’s democracy under the current administration.
Atiku said such abysmal civic participation in the nation’s capital- the symbolic heartbeat of the federation is not accidental.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) secured five of the six chairmanship seats contested in the 2026 Area Council elections. The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) managed to claim just one chairmanship position, winning in the Gwagwalada Area Council.
INEC concluded the declaration of results on Sunday, one day after the polls closed on Saturday, February 21, 2026, across the six Area Councils, namely Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abaji, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kwali, and Kuje.
The elections, which involved selecting chairmen and 62 councillors, recorded relatively low voter turnout in many areas, but not without some alleged intimidation, vote selling and buying, although some election observers said the polls were largely peaceful.
The United States government is stepping up its efforts to counter terrorist financing in Nigeria, as Jonathan Burke, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing, is set to visit the country from February 23 to 24.
Burke’s visit is part of the Trump Administration’s broader push to reduce violence against Christians and other vulnerable groups across the globe. During his two-day stay, he will engage with key Nigerian government authorities and private sector stakeholders to assess and address risks threatening the country’s financial sector.
Central to the discussions will be identifying vulnerabilities within Nigeria’s financial system that could be exploited to fund terrorist activities. Burke is also expected to outline concrete steps that both governments and the private sector can take to strengthen existing safeguards and close loopholes that bad actors may use to move money undetected.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has responded to the results of the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections by extending congratulations to its winning candidates, while also announcing plans to establish a legal team to contest the manner in which the elections were conducted.
In a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the party alleged that the elections were marred by intimidation and executive interference.
“The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has congratulated successful candidates of the PDP in the Area Council Elections, which were held in Abuja on February 21, 2026,” the statement read.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has praised FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, noting that his accomplishments in the territory translated into significant political gains for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The President’s remarks followed Saturday’s elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission in the six area councils of the FCT, as well as by-elections in Ahoada East II and Khana II state constituencies in Rivers State and Kano Municipal and Ungogo constituencies in Kano State.
The APC recorded victories in most of the positions contested.
The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled bizarre plots by two drug traffickers to move consignments of cocaine and opioids hidden in their stomachs and fake baby bumps through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, and the Seme land border in Lagos to Europe and other destinations.
A Kano-based businesswoman, 35-year-old Rabi Muhammad, was intercepted by NDLEA officers at the departure tarmac of Seme land border with a protruding tummy on Monday, 16th February 2026, while attempting to cross to Cotonou in the Benin Republic. A full body search, however, revealed the absurd: her pregnancy was fake, and her baby bump was designed with a pink coloured calabash used to conceal 3,200 capsules of tramadol, which she tied around her stomach and was taking to Cotonou to sell.
Same day in Kano, NDLEA operatives at the screening point of the departure hall of MAKIA intercepted a 41-year-old Ivorian, Michael Gohouri (also known as Anunwa Onyinye Michael), during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 to Milan, Malpensa via Addis Ababa. When he was taken for a body scan, the result confirmed ingestion of illicit substances.
In a landmark move signaling a new era of collaboration, Dangote Petroleum Refinery and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) have committed to a strategic partnership aimed at transforming Nigeria’s energy landscape and driving industrial self-sufficiency.
During a high-level visit to the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemicals complex in Ibeju-Lekki, the leadership of both organizations pledged to move beyond historical challenges and focus on delivering operational excellence and energy security for the nation.
Social media influencer Peller and comedian-turned-content creator Carter Efe are facing public backlash following an on-camera confrontation in which the two damaged each other’s vehicles during a live broadcast.
In a viral video circulating online, the two were seen standing on the roofs of the vehicles and smashing the front and rear windscreens with stones while streaming the incident in real time.
The reason for the clash remains unclear, but Peller later addressed the incident during another live broadcast, saying he was pleased about damaging Carter’s car, which he described as retaliation for the alleged destruction of his own property.
A last-minute goal was enough for Liverpool to claim a narrow 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the Stadium of Light on Sunday.
Alexis Mac Allister netted the decisive goal for the visitors in the 97th minute.
The Argentine crashed home from close range to hand the Reds maximum points.
Eberechi Eze andViktor Gyökeres each scored twice, propelling Arsenal to a commanding 4-1 victory over North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur and restoring their five-point advantage at the top of the Premier League table.
Eze broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute, while Randal Kolo Muani levelled for Spurs 123 seconds later.
Gyökeres produced a wonderful curled strike after 47 minutes before Eze punished more slack home defending to grab his fifth goal of the campaign.
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