The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has declared that citizens would resist any attempts to impose Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, as the next governor of the state.
This statement follows recent endorsements of Seyi as a potential successor to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in 2027 by some groups.
One of such groups, the Coalition of Nigerian Youth Leaders, issued an endorsement on Tuesday in Owerri, Imo State, suggesting that Seyi would be welcomed to run for governor in Osun or Imo states, where his family is reportedly from.
Similarly, a socio-political group, Friends of Seyi Tinubu, also endorsed him, describing the president’s son as a visionary leader with a rare combination of intellect, empathy, and strategic acumen.
However, their endorsements have drawn criticism from various stakeholders.
In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, the Lagos PDP spokesperson, Hakeem Amode, rejected the idea, saying, “Lagos will not serve him.”
He questioned whether governorship should become an inheritance, suggesting that it was inappropriate for a son to inherit such a role from his father.
“Governorship is not a gift,” he stated, stressing that if the Tinubu camp were to resort to tactics similar to those used in Ondo and Edo states in the past, it would be met with resistance.
He further reminded that many Lagosians did not vote for Tinubu in the last presidential election which was an indication that they would not support his son for governor.
Earlier, the Coalition of Lagos Indigenous Youths also condemned the idea of a Tinubu family member taking over the governorship, insisting that non-indigenes should not be allowed to govern Lagos State.
But the spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress in Lagos, Seye Oladejo, dismissed the conversation about the 2027 elections as premature.
“It is too early to be discussing the 2027 elections,” he said, urging people to focus on supporting current government.
He said, “We should rally behind the governor and the president now to advance development.”
Earlier, a prominent APC chieftain, Joe Igbokwe, also weighed in on the issue, on his Facebook page.
President Bola Tinubu has returned to Abuja after participating in the 2024 G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Tinubu returned to the country on Saturday night after arriving at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in the company of his wife, First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu.
The president, who was invited to the summit by the host and current G20 President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, departed Abuja for Brazil on November 17.
From November 18 to November 19, the convergence saw leaders from the 20 largest economies globally, the European Union, the African Union, and various multilateral financial institutions meet to discuss vital issues.
Themed ‘Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet’, some of the issues discussed were combating hunger and poverty, reforming global governance institutions, sustainable development, and energy transition.
President Tinubu was part of bilateral meetings aimed at advancing Nigeria’s socio-economic reforms.
He was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha; Minister of Art, Tourism, Culture and Creativity, Hannatu Musawa; Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi; and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed.
It’s victory for democracy — Ugochinyere From Godwin Tsa Abuja
The Abuja division of the Court of Appeal has set aside the judgment that stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from releasing voters register to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, for the conduct of local government elections that held in the state on October 5.
Responding to the Court of Appeal Judgment, the Spokesman of the opposition Coalition lawmakers in the House of Representative speaker Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere hailed the appellate court decision describing it as another major victory for democracy.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court had, in a judgment he delivered on a suit that was filed by the All Progressives Congress, APC, stopped the conduct of the Rivers State LG election. In the said suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/987/2024, APC had prayed the high court to halt the election on the ground that the failure of RSIEC to strictly comply with provisions of the Electoral Act in respect of the management of the register of voters intended to be used for the elections. The trial court held that the RSIEC erred by fixing date for the conduct of polls in the 23 local government areas without strict compliance with relevant laws guiding such election.
Justice Lifu noted that RSIEC failed to publish the 90-day mandatory notice, before it scheduled the election.
He equally held that the update and revision of voters register to be used for the election ought to have been concluded before any valid date could be fixed for the polls.
Consequently, Justice Lifu ordered INEC not to make the certified voters register available to RSIEC, pending when the relevant laws were complied with. He further barred RSIEC from accepting any voters register from INEC or using same for the purpose of the LG polls that held on October 5. But a special panel of the court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel led by Justice Onyekachi Otisi, faulted the Federal High Court for barring security agencies from providing security during the elections. The panel held that the lower court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain suit against the Rivers State LG elections.
The appellate court insisted the that Section 28 of the Electoral Act does not cover elections conducted by states, but only federal elections, governorship and area council elections in the Federal Capital Territory. Responding to the Court of Appeal Judgment, the Spokesman of the opposition Coalition lawmakers in the House of Representative speaker Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere hailed the appellate court decision describing it as another major victory for democracy. He said the judgment has further redeemed the image of the judiciary which the sacked pro Wike lawmakers may have caused the judiciary in their desperate but failed attempts to unseat governor Simi Fubara of River State . Hon ugochinyere who represent Ideato North and South in the House insisted thar it was strange for the lower court to have asked the police not to provide security for the last council election . He also insisted that the Martin Amaewele and 26 others remained sacked.
The Oyo Government has warned that it will soon resort to using legal action against residents and business owners domiciled in the state who evade the payment of taxes.
Mr Olufemi Awakan, the Executive Chairman of Oyo State Board of Internal Revenue, disclosed in a statement in Ibadan on Friday.
Awakan in the statement told residents of Oyo State that it was time to clear all backlog of tax payments.
“It is also time we ensure residents of the state fulfil their civic responsibilities and obligations to the state.
“The payment of taxes and levies are not optional, as stated in Section 24 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he explained.
Awakan stated that it was important that every citizen who earned income on his or her trade, business, profession, vocation or employment must pay the correct amount of taxes.
“Payment of taxes is not a punishment by the government against citizens, but a compulsory obligation by all citizens to the government.
“Tax obligations are governed by several laws, primarily the Federal Inland Revenue Act, Personal Income Tax Act (2011) amended, and various state tax laws which must be obeyed,” he added.
Awakan pointed out that there were some forms of punishment available for tax evaders.
Serious cases of tax evasion can lead to criminal charges. Convictions may result in imprisonment, fines, or both, depending on the severity of the offence.
“The tax authorities have the power to assess and determine the tax owed, if an individual or business does not file returns or pay taxes.
“This can lead to additional penalties like fines and interests.
“Also, the government can seize assets or bank accounts of individuals or businesses that fail to comply with tax obligations.”
The Oyo state board of internal revenue’s executive chairman also warned that business organs which neglect their tax obligations may face difficulties in renewing licences or permits necessary for operation.
“Tax authorities can take legal action to recover unpaid taxes, which may involve court proceedings.
“Non-compliance with tax laws can lead to reputational harm, affecting relationships with clients, customers and business partners.”
Awakan then advised citizens to ensure they pay their taxes as at when due.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng) OLAL ====== (Edited by Olawale Alabi)
The $2.2 billion loan request made by President Bola Tinubu, which the National Assembly recently approved, has attracted reactions from economic and development experts as well as interest groups.
The president had requested the approval to enable the government to partially finance the N9.7 trillion budget deficits for the 2024 budget.
While some economic experts have given more insight and offered advice on how the government can make the best out of the loan, some others have expressed reservations on the government’s penchant for borrowing.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Nigeria’s public debt stock – external and domestic stood at N134. 30 trillion, about $91.35billion, as at the second quarter of 2024.
Dr. Chijioke Ekechukwu, a former Director-General of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and CEO of Dignity Finance, said there is an urgent need for Nigeria to explore alternatives to borrowing.
To reduce reliance on external borrowing, Ekechukwu urged the government to monetize underutilized assets, adding that increased oil production capacity and revenue could help reduce deficits, provided fiscal discipline is maintained.
He also criticised the manner in which the government is handling resources, and advocated more fiscal discipline.
“As long as we have the kind of budget deficit that we have, which obviously can only be funded by loans, we will continue to have more loans borrowed from international bodies. Unfortunately, we have not been so circumspect about the interest rates and the conditions of these loans. We need to actually assess loans that have better conditions than others, and I do not think those kinds of loans can come from the IMF or World Bank.
“What we need to do to reduce the deficit that we have is to look inwards and see whatever assets that we have today that we can actually dispose of and use them to form part of funding of the deficit of the 2025 budget. If you look very well, you will see there are too many assets that can actually be disposed of and get a lot of money to be able to form part of this budget. The second thing we need to do going forward is to reduce the size of our deficits.
“We do not have to continue carrying big and heavy deficits all the time. As individuals, you don’t want to spend money you do not have. If you don’t have it, then don’t spend it, and so that we can curtail our expenditure to the extent of the revenue that we have, and that way we will manage ourselves.”
Ekechukwu advised the government that as individuals are tightening their belts, the government should also tighten its own. He expressed the view that if the country does not have enough money to fund certain projects, it should not resort to borrowing to execute such projects, especially given the fact that the country already has a huge debt burden.
“Another way is to see whatever savings we can make when there is an increase in oil production and oil revenue. Of course, you know that we have made a benchmark for oil price where it is now, and so when the price of oil goes up, we’re expected to get more revenue from there. When the capacity we have today is exceeded, we’re also expected to get more money.
“So the excess we’re going to get from increased capacity and then the extra money we’re going to get from increased price of oil can actually help to reduce the deficit which we are going to have. So as far as we continue to have huge deficits, we’ll continue to borrow. Again, there needs to be enough fiscal discipline.
He further expressed concern that “the kind of monies that are going into different tiers of government and the ways that they’re being utilized, they don’t really show that we have fiscal discipline. We need to indeed have it in order for us to manage our economic situation.
Another economist and development expert, Aliyu Ilias said he supports government borrowing but cautioned against its misuse. He recommended that Nigeria should avoid further borrowing until 2025, as current loans are being used to supplement the 2024 budget, which is nearing its end.
“I do not think it is bad to borrow. Most countries of the world including the US and China borrow. But the question is what are we borrowing for? Also, I would advise the government not to borrow again until 2025 because what they are borrowing now is to augment the 2024 budget, and 2024, in less than 50 days will be over, which means that in 2025, they will borrow again to augment the budget deficit. So for me, they should not borrow again until 2025.
“So it all depends on what we are borrowing for. If it’s project tied, then it’s okay. In fact, for me, I think Nigeria’s budget is too small. We should be doing like 100 trillion so we should borrow more to augment. If we borrow for capital projects, it is okay because those are the things Nigerians will benefit from like roads, healthcare, education and the rest,” he said.
Prof. Adegbemi Onakoya, a quality management and business transformation expert also noted that borrowing is acceptable but only if it is directed toward infrastructure and projects that yield economic returns.
According to him, “The basic principle of loan is the productivity of it. The loan itself is not the problem; the problem is what it is used for. If it is used for capital expenditure, then there is no problem. But, if it is used for recurrent expenditure, that is where the problem lies.”
Whether successive governments in the country made judicious use of such loans is another contentious issue.
In the words of Onakoya, “for Nigeria to qualify for those loans, it means that it is bankable. And do not forget that Nigeria has been able to reduce the percentage of its revenue spent on debt servicing from 105 per cent to 68 per cent. So, as long as it is used for the right course, borrowing is okay.”
But Emmanuael Bechi, another economist and financial analyst accused the government of being insensitive to complaints from Nigerians.
He lamented that despite incessant borrowings, public infrastructure and social services are still in deplorable states.
Bechi does not have kind words for the National Assembly for yielding to the demands of President Tinubu without questioning the utilisation of previous loans taken by the country.
He said: “The painful part is that the loans collected by the previous governments to finance the budget did not change the living conditions of the masses.
“I do not think the planned loan by the government of President Bola Tinubu will change anything.
“The arm of government responsible, the legislature, has failed. The short-term effect is glaring. Citizens are suffering. The exchange rate is alarming. It is always going up each passing day.
“The long-term effect is that our children will pay for the loans. The government must understand that there is economic growth and economic development. When you say the GDP has grown from 1 per cent to 10 per cent, it is just mere economic growth.
“If the GDP does not translate to good governance, then we have succeeded in achieving nothing. Is that what we want for the country? Certainly not.
“Even though we are handicapped, we will continue to advise the government. A loan of $2.2 billion is a huge amount of money. We cannot keep quiet.”
Executive Director, Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education, Ibrahim Zikirullahi, described the approval of the loan as outrageous.
Zikirullahi said the government has failed to make use of the country’s natural resources to boost the economy.
“So, if you’re content with your God-given resources, you will be respected globally. There is no way you will live in pain. But what you see today is that the government does not have the interest of the masses and the country at heart.”
According to the activist, “All they do is to flaunt wealth. Every now and then, when you have a little problem, we go cap in hand to our creditors; for me that is not a way to run a system.”
Peoples Democratic Party chieftain Chief Bode George, has advised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to give up his ambition to be president since he will be 81 in 2027.
George who was addressing a press conference in Lagos on Thursday, said Atiku who started to contest for the presidency since 1993 should be satisfied with being an elder statesman.
He said, “To Atiku, my advice is this, you will be 81 years old in 2027, and you have been contesting for the presidency since 1993. This is the time for you to calm down and act like an elder. I appeal to you in the name of the Almighty Allah, that you serve, to take it easy and leave everything for posterity”.
The former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, also condemned the division in the party. He said some some party members were chasing personal interests.
“We are where we are today because of a self-inflicted crisis; we should bury our individual ambitions now and not allow the PDP to crumble, please. Elders of the party should tell some of these funny characters to cool off and think of our national interest instead of their personal interest.
“Nigerians are angry and hungry. Instead of telling the APC the truth, some divisive, arrogant and haughty members are busy romancing the ruling party and they are quick to refer to themselves as elder statesmen. Instead of instigating a crisis in our party, why are they not bold enough to defect to the APC? Do they really fear God at all? No member is big enough to hold the party to ransom,” George said.
He particularly with pleaded with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike to stop trying to bring down Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
He said, “My advice to Wike is very simple. You are my political son. I am therefore appealing to him to cool off immediately. I know he was injured by friends during the last PDP presidential contest but I am advising him as a father to please take it easy. Nobody is bigger than any party. Forget what happened in the past and let us work together in the interest of this party.
“I want to ask the elders at the helm of affairs of our party today, ‘What exactly is the offence of Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State?’ What exactly is the offence of this gentleman that some elders of our party are trying to throw him under the bus because of political expediency? What exactly is going on that some party members don’t feel bothered about the happenings in Rivers State? Governor Fubara was helped by Governor Wike to become the number one citizen of the oil-bearing state. The governor himself acknowledged this on several occasions.
“Must the governor now behave like a slave to his predecessor and other characters because of this concept of godfatherism which is a misnomer in our politics? Why are some party members encouraging his predecessor to bring him down? He is in Abuja; he wants to control what goes on in Rivers State.
“Did the governors before him behave this way? Why are the party leaders not eager to mediate and bring both groups to normalcy? The PDP cannot continue like this. Why can’t we learn from our past mistakes? Is our party jinxed? Why can’t we tell all these troublemakers to go and sit down if they don’t want this party to move forward?”
The Federal University Gusau has said every claim by sacked Vice-Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) Awka, Dr Bernard Odoh on his appointment as a tenured staff and confirmation of promotion as a Professor by the institution was ‘shoddy, fraudulent, utterly devoid of due process and smacks of illegality’.
The University said this while denying awarding Professorship to Odoh at a press conference in Gusau on Friday.
The University also insisted Odoh has never worked in the institution at the press conference addressed by its vice-chancellor Prof. Muazu Abubakar.
Abubakar said Odoh was neither employed by the University nor appointed as a Professor.
“The so-called letters of offer of appointment and confirmation of promotion to the post of Professor, dated 30th April 2015 and 12th Nov. 2015, were an administrative fraud.
“The so-called letters and offer of appointments purported to be certified true copies hurriedly endorsed by the former Registrar of the university, Ibrahim Bawa-Kaura, dated November 8, 2024, six years after he left the services of the university, were also administrative fraud.
“In the last two weeks, both the mainstream and new media in Nigeria have been awash with screaming headlines about the controversy surrounding the appointment of Odoh as vice-chancellor,” Abubakar said.
He also said that part of the issues that have generated serious attention was the misleading and unfounded claim by Odoh that he was offered a tenure appointment and confirmed as a Professor by the university.
Arising from the spurious claim, the Federal University, Gusau, has been inundated with inquiries about the true status of Odoh.
”This was regarding his appointment as a tenured Professor in the Department of Geology, grant of leave of absence and confirmation of appointment as a substantive professor by the Governing Council of the University.
“The widely circulated misinformation by Odoh has no doubt raised serious concerns about the credibility and reputation of the Federal University, Gusau.
“Consequently, the university management has decided to go public, to tell its own side of the story to stem further misinformation on the issue,” Abubakar explained.
He further said that everything about Odoh’s purported offer of appointment as a tenured staff and confirmation of promotion as a Professor was ‘shoddy, fraudulent, utterly devoid of due process and smacks of illegality’.
“There is no evidence of official documentation with regards to his controversial employment as a staff of the Federal University Gusau.
“The Federal University, Gusau, wishes to state in unequivocal terms that from available records, Odoh has not, and has never been its tenured staff, let alone being confirmed as a Professor by the institution,” he added.
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has explained why Nigerians must pay to get the new multipurpose national Identity card.
Speaking at a two-day roundtable organised for journalists in Lagos, NIMC Head of Card Management Services, Dr Peter Iwegbu disclosed that the payment is due to limited government revenue.
Iwegbu added that the payment is also to ensure that the card is produced for only those who need it.
He shared that the decision to make citizens pay was made to avoid repeating the mistake of the past efforts to issue physical cards to Nigerians for free, which many did not collect.
According to him, more than two million cards were produced in a previous attempt to issue free National ID cards by the NIMC, but many of them have not been collected to date.
“The government’s limited revenue is also a major factor in the decision to make Nigerians pay for the new ID card,” he stated.
Also shedding light on the issue, Lanre Yusuf, the Director of Information Technology at NIMC, noted that the idea of a free national ID card did not produce the desired result in the past.
Yusuf referred to the new ID card as a post-paid identity card; individuals must need it before initiating a request.
“To get the new national ID card, Nigerians will need to make a payment, select a pickup location, and then collect their card from the chosen location.
“The government has implemented programmes to make the card accessible to the less privileged Nigerians who cannot afford it but require it to access government support.
“This initiative demonstrates the government’s commitment to inclusivity and equality,” he said.
Sharing further, Yusuf revealed that the multipurpose will be launched soon as sample test cards had already been received.
“NIMC is working with banks across the country, which will make it possible for people to walk into any bank closest to them and request the card.
“The new national ID card is a multipurpose card that can serve the purpose of identity verification, payments, and even government services,” he added.
The Court of Appeal, Makurdi Division, on Thursday, set aside the ruling of the Benue State High Court, which had struck out the suit filed by the immediate past governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom, against the probe panel set up by Governor Hyacinth Alia.
It will be recalled that in February 2024, Governor Alia of Benue State established two separate panels to investigate the management of the state’s finances and assets during the administration of Chief Ortom.
In response to the probe panels, Chief Ortom filed a suit, challenging the legality of the panels. He argued that the Auditor-General of the state had already audited the accounts of the state for the period of 2015-2023 and had submitted the report to the Benue State House of Assembly, which acted on the report as required by the 1999 Constitution.
The governor of Benue State, the Chairman of the Income and Expenditure Commission, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, and 11 others were joined in the suit.
Ortom further contended that since he had reported the financial situation of Benue State for the period of 2015-2023 to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), it was wrong for the Alia administration to set up separate probe panels to investigate the same period, as it amounted to a double investigation by two different bodies.
Chief Ortom filed a motion for an extension of time to regularize his processes, which was opposed by all the respondents in the suit.
In his ruling on July 30, 2024, Justice T.T. Asua declined to grant Ortom’s application and dismissed the suit, stating that the matter had been filed out of time.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, Ortom, through his counsels, Oba Maduabuchi, SAN, John Ioryina, and others, approached the Court of Appeal, praying the court to set aside the ruling of the Benue State High Court, among other reliefs.
In response, the counsel to the Governor of Benue State, Matthew Burkaa, SAN, argued that Ortom’s appeal lacked specific grounds and that the High Court’s dismissal was justified, as Ortom’s case had been filed outside the permitted time frame under the Benue High Court Rules and Public Officers Protection Law.
Counsel to the other respondents agreed with Burkaa’s submission.
Chief Ortom’s lead counsel, Oba Maduabuchi, SAN, contended that the Public Officers Protection Law, cited by the High Court, did not apply to cases of judicial review, such as Ortom’s.
In a unanimous decision, the three-man panel of Justices, led by Justice Biobele Abraham Georgewill, set aside the ruling of the Makurdi High Court that dismissed the suit filed by Chief Ortom, challenging the Income and Expenditure Commission set up by Governor Hyacinth Alia.
The appellate court restored Ortom’s suit to the cause list to be heard and determined on its merit.
The Court of Appeal also granted Ortom’s motion for an extension of time to file his case out of time and ordered that the suit be returned to the Chief Judge of Benue State to be reassigned to a judge other than Hon. Justice T.T. Asua for hearing and determination on merit.
The management of Nnamdi Azikiwe University has confirmed the reinstatement of Prof. Joseph Ikechebelu as the Acting Vice Chancellor and Mr. Victor Modebelu as the Acting Registrar of the University.
A press release made available to journalists in Awka on Thursday, signed by Njelita Louis, the University Ag, the Director of Information and Public Relations stated that the latest development was in accordance with the directives of the Honourable Minister of Education and the approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“This decision follows the nullification of the appointment of Prof. Benard Ifeanyi Odoh as the 7th substantive Vice Chancellor of the University, which was deemed to have been illegally executed by the now dissolved 10th Governing Council of the University.
“The reinstatement of Prof. Ikechebelu is outlined in the Federal Ministry of Education correspondence: REF. FME/HE/CU/82/T/308 dated 20th November 2024, and signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Nasir Sani–Gwarzo mni.”
The release stated that Prof. Ikechebelu has been directed to assume full administrative responsibilities for the University, with any matters requiring the approval of the Governing Council to be referred to the Honourable Minister of Education pending the reconstitution of a new Governing Council of the University by the President.
He also disclosed that Victor Modebelu, the erstwhile Acting Registrar who handed over to Rosemary Nwokike, appointed by the now dissolved Greg Mbadiwe-led Governing Council, was also reinstated and directed by the Permanent Secretary to take charge of the University Registry henceforth.
“The University community is hereby enjoined to offer its full support and cooperation to the reinstated Acting Vice-Chancellor and Acting Registrar as they steer the institution toward fulfilling its academic and administrative mandate,” the release added.
