Dons EzeNORTHERN GOVERNORS, SENATORS MOBILIZE AGAINST TINUBU’S TAX REFORM BILL
NORTHERN GOVERNORS, SENATORS MOBILIZE AGAINST TINUBU’S TAX REFORM BILL The backlash from plans by President Bola Tinubu to reform the tax administration in the country is yet to abate, following fresh plans by state governors of northern extraction and members of the National Assembly from the region to scuttle the moves. The fresh push back against the bills in both chambers of the National Assembly, Saturday Sun has gathered, is being spearheaded by some governors from the seven states in the North-West and six from the North-East. Two state governors from the North-central are also alleged to have joined the fray. On the other hand, four state governors from the North are aligning with President Tinubu’s positions on the tax reforms, it was gathered. Three of the four governors are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), while one is a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Saturday Sun further gathered that two of the four presiding officers of the National Assembly, who are from the North-West, are currently under pressure to align with the position taken by northern governors on the issue. Though it is not clear if the two presiding officers will shift their ground and support governors from the north, sources told Saturday Sun that powerful traditional rulers and clerics have been approached to prevail on them to frustrate the bills. Already, lawmakers from the north, led by a former Leader of the Senate, Mohammed Ali Ndume, are mobilising against the bills in the two chambers of the National Assembly. Ndume, who in a series of interviews, described the bills as dead on arrival, has repeatedly argued that they’re anti-north and must therefore be jettisoned by President Tinubu. “These taxes they’re talking about, we are almost losing the middle class in Nigeria. It is either you have it or you do not have it. Those that are in the middle are being squeezed out. If Nigerians can pay those taxes, it is okay. But in the current situation, increasing taxes is not an alternative at all. I will not support any increase in tax. “Let us get things right first. Let people start living and not survive. Let people have extra income, and then you can tax them. I like to use an example of common sense. Allow Nigerians to have enough blood in their body before you start asking for donation,” Ndume had stated in a press release. Saturday Sun also gathered that although other senators have maintained a stoic silence, they are covertly working to undermine the passage of the bills. Despite mounting opposition, President Tinubu has stated that he would not withdraw the tax reform bills but remains open to legislative inputs and necessary changes. The proposals have faced substantial criticism, with leaders urging the president to reconsider his stance. Key components of the reform include the Nigeria Tax Bill, intended to reduce overlapping taxes; the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, which seeks to harmonise tax processes nationwide; the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, which proposes renaming the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS); and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, aimed at creating a Joint Revenue Board to streamline tax administration across the country.
BUHARI WOULDN’T HAVE BECOME PRESIDENT WITHOUT TINUBU – SUNDAY DARE
BUHARI WOULDN’T HAVE BECOME PRESIDENT WITHOUT TINUBU – SUNDAY DARE The Special Adviser to the President on Public Communications and Orientation, Sunday Dare, has said former President Muhammadu Buhari would not have emerged as Nigeria’s number one citizen in 2015 without President Bola Tinubu’s support. This is just as Dare said his appointment by the President was not a downgrade, but a call to add value to the Tinubu-led administration. Dare, who served as Minister of Sports under former President Buhari, stated this during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today. He said, “This is a call to duty to help the administration at a time like this when we are going through reforms that are necessary. The fact that I am a former minister should not be an issue at all. When you look at the past, we had seen presidents call on Nigerians to come and play a role. And President Tinubu beyond me has also invited other people who had held higher positions in the past. “The issue is that for the president to repose that trust is what is critical. I had been in government before. Governance is a continuum. There are issues that have to be dealt with. You inherit something and you continue to reform until you have a country that functions the way you want it to function. “I think every Nigerian should be ready to answer that call for duty from whoever is the president of our country. And right now is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and I am glad to take up that responsibility with the team that is already in place.” However, Dare said that Buhari would not have been president without President Bola Tinubu’s support. He stated, “If you look at the role Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu played in the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari and I can say clearly that without Tinubu’s role in forming the party, making the platform to be there, President Buhari would not have emerged.”
TINUBU, WIKE RESPONSIBLE FOR CRISIS IN NNPP, LP, PDP – BALA MOHAMMED
Tinubu, Wike Responsible For The Crisis In NNPP, LP, PDP – Bala Mohammed Excerpts of Daily Trust’s interview with Bauchi State Governor, Bala MohammedLet’s talk about the PDP. As the chair of the PDP Governors’ Forum, we’d like to understand the current crisis in the party from your perspective. While you’ve said there’s no faction within the National Working Committee (NWC), it appears the party is becoming polarised. What’s the real situation?BM: As Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, I need to exercise caution when discussing internal matters. Party politics should not be played out in the media. However, I can assure you that the governors are united, despite dissenting views. It’s unrealistic to expect 13 governors to always agree on everything. There are personal loyalties and relationships that can impact unity, but we are together in our resolve to move forward.We must also be mindful of the federal government, which seems determined to get its way. You can see this in the way they handle financial matters and their treatment of labour. This isn’t just a problem for the PDP; they’ve also penetrated other parties like the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Labour Party (LP) in an attempt to create a one-party state. They have resources on their side, but bad governance will ultimately give us an advantage.Regarding the issue with Ambassador (Umar Iliya) Damagum and the NWC, we’ve resolved it. He spoke with me, and while we may disagree on constitutional matters, we are aligned on the need for unity. Constitutionally, if a vacancy arises, it must be filled from the region where it occurred. When Bamanga Tukur left, Ahmed Mu’azu from the North East became the chairman, and we fought to maintain that position when it was challenged. The law must be applied consistently.Some worry that the crisis is multi-pronged, and question whether the PDP can resolve it quickly.BM: I’m confident we will. I’ve spoken to both sides, and while some people are stirring trouble, it’s important to ask who’s behind it: The answer is Tinubu and Wike.But we haven’t seen evidence of Tinubu’s involvement.BM: Tinubu is backing Wike, who remains in the PDP while also aligning with the APC. It’s an unusual situation; but that’s the reality.But Wike mentioned that he wrote to the party seeking endorsement, which included your support. Is that true?BM: No, no. That’s not how things work. In line with natural justice, you can only belong to one place. You can’t be part of two opposing sides at the same time. Wike is a friend, and I’ve told him this directly, and I’m not afraid to say it publicly.The media is also partly responsible, as you seem to endorse these unimaginable scenarios. You can’t allow someone to act as a leader in a party he openly said he won’t support, especially for the 2027 elections. Why hasn’t this been questioned?I don’t have anything personal against Wike. I would have supported him if he showed loyalty to the party. But he’s made it clear that he won’t. So, we can’t just stand by and let him do as he pleases, particularly when we are building towards 2027. Some party members believe that the current NWC under Ambassador Damagum is leaning towards Wike, and that’s part of the issue. Once Wike said he wouldn’t support the PDP in 2027, he created a problem. We’re focused on reclaiming power in 2027, and any disloyalty is unacceptable.People wonder why, given the power of the governors and your role as a BoT member, you haven’t taken stronger action against Wike if he’s seen as a threat to the party. Why not suspend him?BM: You can’t suspend him without the involvement of the NWC. We are influential as governors, but the BoT is only an…
PDP POSTPONES NEC MEETING TO NOVEMBER 28 AS BAUCHI GOVERNOR MAKES U-TURN, ACCEPTS DAMAGUM’S LEADERSHIP
PDP POSTPONES NEC MEETING TO NOVEMBER 28 AS BAUCHI GOVERNOR MAKES U-TURN, ACCEPTS DAMAGUM’S LEADERSHIP The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors and other stakeholders have postponed the October 24 National Executive Committee (NEC) to November 28. The decision was reached after about four hours of meeting on Tuesday night. Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting at the Bauchi Governors’ Lodge in Asokoro, the Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, said the decision was to allow the party prosecute the Ondo Governorship election slated for November 16. Meanwhile, Bala Mohammed, on Tuesday night, bowed to pressure and openly recognised the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum. Earlier, a faction of the Party loyal to Mohammed had sought a court order to stop the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission from annulling Thursday’s planned National Executive Council meeting. The lawsuit, filed by a certain Imam Auwal at a Zamfara High Court in Gusau Judicial Division, also sought to vacate an earlier injunction from an Abuja Federal High Court Abuja barring the PDP from removing Damagum from office. But on Tuesday, the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum welcomed Damagum’s leadership at a stakeholders meeting convened to ease tensions among warring party leaders in the National Working Committee. Only five of the 13 governors were in attendance as of the time of filing this report. They include Governors Bala Mohammed; Ademola Adeleke of Osun, Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Siminalaye Fubara (Rivers) and Caleb Muftwan (Plateau). The development comes a few hours after the Olagunsoye Oyinlola-led Reconciliation Committee set up to resolve the factionalisation of the NWC announced that it has successfully resolved their differences for the party to forge ahead in its task of nation-building. In his opening remarks at the expanded meeting of the PDP Governors’ Forum with the Board of Trustees and former governors late on Tuesday, Mohammed said they had only one agenda, which is to reconcile all differences. He said, “This is a PDP meeting, not governors meeting. It is not a caucus meeting but a meeting of PDP stakeholders. It is a one-item agenda meeting. As you can see, we are all united today under the leadership of Umar Damagum, we are here to discuss germane issues. “We will resist any attempt to make Nigeria a one-party state. We will use our experiences since 1999 to provide Nigerians with an alternative platform. “
2027: I’VE NO PROBLEM DEPUTIZING PETER OBI, WE’RE READY FOR TALKS – KWANKWASO
2027: I’VE NO PROBLEM DEPUTIZING PETER OBI, WE’RE READY FOR TALKS – KWANKWASO The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, in the 2023 elections, Rabiu Kwankwaso has hinted at the possibility of him deputizing his Labour Party counterpart in the last election, Peter Obi. In a video clip currently trending on X microblogging platform, the former governor of Kano State who spoke on Hausa, said he would be willing to deputize Obi “if certain conditions are met”. Kwankwaso, who claimed that he is politically bigger than Obi, said they are willing to engage in meaningful discussions with the LP leader to establish an agreement ahead of the 2027 elections. He said, “I’m bigger than Peter Obi politically, I’m his elder brother, I’m a PhD holder, I performed better than him when I was a governor of my state. I’ve no problem with deputizing Peter Obi, but only if certain conditions are met. “We are willing to engage in discussions, provided that trust is established”. In the 2023 election, Peter Obi won the majority of votes in 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja. The former Anambra governor came third with about 6,101,533 votes. On the other hand, Kwankwaso won the election in 38 of the 44 local government areas in Kano State, garnering a total of 1,496,687 votes in the elections.
I REPORTED MY RAPE CASE TO SUPERIOR OFFICERS BUT THEY DISREGARD IT DUE ACCUSED PERSON’S RANK – DISCHARGED FEMALE SOLDIER
I REPORTED MY RAPE CASE TO SUPERIOR OFFICERS BUT THEY DISREGARD IT DUE TO ACCUSED PERSON’S RANK – DISCHARGED FEMALE SOLDIER A former female soldier, Private Ruth Ogunleye, who was relieved from service after accusing a senior officer, Colonel I.B. Abdulkareem, of sexual harassment, has made further revelations about how superiors in the army refused to listen to her when she first reported her rape case. The discharged soldier disclosed this when she featured on an AIT programme monitored by SaharaReporters on Wednesday evening. During the interview, she levelled allegations against General Christopher Gwabin Musa, the current Chief of Defence Staff, and other superior officers, claiming they deliberately avoided thoroughly investigating her rape case due to the accused person’s seniority during her service. She said: “I sought intervention from people like General C. G. Musa, the current Chief of Defence Staff. I told him. I told so many officers. I sought redress but nothing was done because he is my senior, and nobody was ready to give me a listening ear. “I exhausted all the procedures; I sought redress using Section 179 of the Armed Forces Act and nothing was done. He would inject (me) and throw me inside a psychiatric hospital.” She accused Abdulkareem of making repeated attempts to assault her, administering injections against her will, forcibly removing her from her residence, and confining her to a psychiatric hospital for several months after she rejected his sexual advances. However, the Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, said Ogunleye’s allegations lacked merit. The army spokesperson said that after an exhaustive review of the facts, testimonies, and evidence presented, it was determined that Abdulkareem did not commit the offences alleged by Ogunleye. Nwachukwu stated that medical reports following an evaluation at the National Hospital in Abuja indicated that Ogunleye was suffering from a condition that rendered her medically vulnerable.
WHY WE LOST EDO ELECTION – LABOUR PARTY
WHY WE LOST EDO ELECTION – LABOUR PARTY Mr Kelly Ogbalo, Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) in Edo State, has alleged that the party would have won the state governorship election if it was conducted in a free and fair manner. Ogbalo disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Monday. He claimed that the election was marred by serious irregularities, including open vote-buying that the security agencies failed to check. Ogbalo alleged that: “Labour Party won the election but was not allowed to take possession. There’ll be nationwide thunderstorms for three days, NiMet alerts NigeriansMinimum wage: Labour, FG sign MoU on salaries adjustments“What I mean by that is that the election was marred with serious irregularities; there was open vote buying. The security agencies failed to check this anomaly. “So in such a way where votes were bought and with manipulation of results here and there. What do you expect? When asked if LP would challenge the result in court, Ogbalo said the party had yet to call a state council meeting to take a position on the matter. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Sept. 22 declared Sen. Monday Okpebholo of the APC winner of the election. Okpebholo polled 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 247,274 votes while LP’s candidate, Mr Olumide Akpata, came third with 22,763 votes. (NAN)
APC STATE CHAIRMEN LAMENT STATE OF AFFAIRS IN NIGERIA, RESOLVE TO MEET TINUBU
APC STATE CHAIRMEN LAMENT STATE OF AFFAIRS IN NIGERIA, RESOLVE TO MEET TINUBU Chairmen of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have resolved to meet with the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the state of affairs in the country. Secretary of the APC States Chairmen’s Forum and Chairman of Cross River State, Alphonsus Ogar Eba Esq, disclosed this to newsmen on Thursday after their meeting in Abuja. Nigerians are groaning over deteriorating insecurity, hunger, poverty, hike in fuel pump price, electricity tariff, and other challenges bedeviling the country. Ogar who was flanked by the acting chairman of the forum, Hon Cornelius Ojelabi, and other states chairmen said the meeting would discuss a variety of issues with the federal government including that of hardship in the country. He said, “The Forum of APC States Chairmen met yesterday to discuss issues that are of great concern to the party’s democratic ethos and the success of our APC led administration under the able leadership of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR and his dependable Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima GCON. “While the Forum has resolved to have close-door meetings with the leadership of the NWC and government, we considered it necessary to discuss the recent action of the NWC under the leadership of H.E. Alhaji Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje with respect to the extension granted to the caretaker committee of Rivers State APC led by Chief Tony Okocha.” Fielding questions from newsmen on the current hardship in the land, Ogar said, ”About the hardship, yes, everybody has a complaint. We are not unaware of that and we said we are going to have a closed-door meeting with the NWC and the government.“So the government we are referring to is the federal government. Untill that is thrashed and matters addressed, it will be premature to address the press on these issues.” Ogar also said the states chairmen were working with the NWC to resolve crises in some state chapters of the party. He said the decision of the Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje-led NWC to extend the tenure of the caretaker committee led by Chief Tony Okocha in Rivers State would boost its fortunes as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum. The Forum also singled out a former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, as a performing minister and enumerated his milestones in the areas of security, infrastructure and human capital development in the FCT, but kept mum on whether non-perfoming ministers should be sacked.
L ABOUR PARTY AND CHALLENGE OF DEMOCRACY
LABOUR PARTY AND CHALLENGE OF DEMOCRACYDemocracy is based on popular participation of the people in their government. Internal democracy is a constitutional requirement which ensures the participation of the members of a political party in the affairs of their political party. This right is granted them by giving them the exclusive privilege to elect the members of their Party’s ruling organs. Section 223(1)(a)(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN) as amended, provides for the periodical election, on a democratic basis, not exceeding four years, of the principal officers and members of the executive committee or other governing body of a political party. The democratic basis in section 82(3) of the Electoral Act (EA) means that the election of members of the governing body of a political party, including the election to fill a vacant position in any of the governing bodies, shall be conducted in a democratic manner which allows all members of the party or their duly elected delegates to vote in support of a candidate of their choice. Any other route apart from this route to impose leadership on any party is illegal and a destruction of internal democracy and as such null and void.The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is empowered by law to ensure that political parties observe the practices of internal democracy, including the fair and transparent conduct of party congresses and conventions. The law did this in section 82(1) and (5) of the EA when it instructed any political party that wants to elect its National Officers to give the Commission at least 21 days’ notice of any convention, congress, conference or meeting convened for the purpose of electing members of its governing bodies. Failure to do this renders the convention invalid. The whole idea of giving INEC 21 days notice is to enable INEC to monitor that the parties comply with the provisions of the law and ensure fairness and transparency in the election of their officers.It then means that any party that fails to invite INEC, through the requisite 21 days notice, intends not to observe internal democracy in organising its elections and also intends not to be fair and transparent in its elections. INEC will be failing in its duties to lend its name to such a desecration of the laws by the party and would have been a willing tool in the destruction of our democracy. The proper thing INEC should do is to ignore such a charade and treat it as having not been done. We have become so lawless and so litigious that we think the courts must give orders before we perform our duties. No! Courts are meant to settle disputes, not to do the work for people. INEC doesn’t need a court order to ignore any national executive of a political party which emerged in a manner not known to law because in the eyes of the law, there was no convention. Paragraph 15(b)(c) of third schedule to the CFRN empowers INEC to register political parties and monitor the organisation and operation of the political parties. Any party that fails to comply with the laws should be penalised by INEC by refusing to recognise the officers that are responsible for the breaching of the laws.What is happening in Labour Party (LP) today is a reflection of lawlessness and impunity that have characterised our fourth republic and this is threatening to destroy our democracy. It is important to note that other parties are suffering from one problem or the other and if this trend is not checked and corrected, Nigerians will lose interest completely in the democratic process. By the communique released recently by the expired, former Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the LP,…
ONE YEAR OF TINUBU’S MINISTERS
ONE YEAR OF TINUBU’S MINISTERS PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has one of the largest cabinets in Nigeria’s history, comparable to Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, which had 47 ministers in 1999. Despite his promise to appoint technocrats to drive his Renewed Hope Agenda, Tinubu’s cabinet appears to be a mix of politicians, loyalists, and a sprinkling of experts.One year after their appointment, it has been a mixed result with many failing to deliver on their mandate. One of the key promises of Tinubu’s administration was economic revitalisation. Under the stewardship of the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, the economy has seen both commendable efforts and areas of concern.The administration has introduced bold reforms, such as unified exchange rates and the removal of petrol subsidies. These policies have sparked inflation and public dissatisfaction.The raft of reforms has also failed to reflate the economy or strengthen the naira, which has continued to lose its value against the greenback. This is because the country is not producing. Edun’s reforms could, at best, be described as an attempt to make a dead horse walk.The much-anticipated job creation drive has yet to produce the expected results. Unemployment and underemployment continue to plague the country, with the youth disproportionately affected. The employment initiatives, though well-intentioned, have yet to materialise into significant job opportunities.Infrastructure development has been a focal point of Tinubu’s government, with the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, tasked with overseeing critical projects. The administration has made strides in continuing and initiating key infrastructural projects. However, the pace of development has been slower than promised. Bureaucratic delays, funding gaps, and security concerns have hindered progress.So far, the government has awarded 51 contracts worth N6.27 trillion to procure, construct, and develop various infrastructural projects across the federation. The contracts, awarded between October 2023 and May 2024, would facilitate infrastructural projects, including roads, bridges, train systems, and airport infrastructure.The minister’s leadership has been stable, but a greater push is needed to meet its ambitious targets. The focus on completing ongoing projects from previous administrations is a positive sign of continuity, but new projects are crucial to meet the growing demands of Nigeria’s burgeoning population. The coming years will test the government’s ability to turn ambitious infrastructure plans, especially the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Badagry-Sokoto superhighway, into reality.Security remains a paramount concern for Nigerians, and the performance of the Minister of Defence is crucial in this regard. Despite some efforts to combat insurgency and banditry, many Nigerians still feel unsafe. The situation in the North-East and North-West regions has shown little improvement. Bandits are still occupying territories in the North-West and preventing farmers from accessing their farmlands.While there have been successful military operations, the overall strategy seems reactive rather than proactive. The administration must rethink its security policies to provide lasting peace and stability. The minister of defence has failed in his assignment.Despite the administration’s efforts in other areas, health and education have not received the attention they deserve. The health sector remains underfunded and ill-equipped to handle the country’s needs, while the education system continues to struggle with inadequate infrastructure, frequent strikes, and poor quality of instruction.These sectors are critical for the country’s future, and the lack of significant progress in these areas is concerning. The administration should prioritise investments in health and education if it hopes to foster a well-educated and healthy population capable of driving economic growth and social development.Reengineering bureaucracy as engine room of governmentThe healthcare system is still underfunded and overburdened, and the minister’s efforts to improve it have not yet had a noticeable impact. The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, has failed to make the necessary impacts in the sector, which is reeling under the exit of professionals leaving the country in droves.Similarly, the…