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Supreme Court Verdict: Again, Wike Blasts Amaechi …Says Rivers People’ll Continue To Defeat Him …Rivers PDP Hails Gov On Victory

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has declared that even if the Former Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is allowed to choose all the panels to handle political cases involving the state, he will continue to fail.
He also stated that all the gang up against Rivers State will continue to fail because God defends the state.
He spoke yesterday at the Government House Port Harcourt Chapel of Everlasting Grace during a Thanksgiving Service for the Supreme Court judgment that declared him qualified to contest the 2019 Rivers State governorship election.
He said: “If you know what Amaechi has been doing, then, you will know that God is with us. He wants to constitute all panels. They should allow him to appoint all panels, but he will fail.
“God will continue to do it for us. We have faith in God. All the gang up against us will fail. Please continue to support and pray for Rivers State”.
He said since 2015, Amaechi has been working round the clock to disrupt the democratic process in Rivers State. He said Amaechi has continued to fail because God is with the state and Rivers people believe in his leadership.
“Amaechi has done everything possible to make sure that we don’t remain here. But nobody can play God.
“In 2015, we won elections and they did everything to destabilise the state. They said that we won in 2015 because of Jonathan. They nullified almost all the State Assembly and National Assembly elections. We had several rerun elections and Rivers people voted overwhelmingly for the PDP.
“In 2019, we witnessed when the Former Minister of Transportation sang war songs in the presence of the President. People became afraid. The Presidential and National Assembly elections came and we won all the seats. We were not in power at the Federal level. We didn’t have security agencies, but we won. Then it came to the Governorship election, they used money and security Services against us, but we won”.
Governor Wike said that he has no fear despite the evil machinations of the Former Rivers State Governor and his cohorts, because God is on the side of Rivers State.
He said: “You have lost, you have lost. All you need to do is to prepare for the next elections. If elections are conducted 2million times in Rivers State, PDP will continue to win”.
He regretted that despite extending an Olive Branch to all political opponents, they have continued unnecessary political battles that will not benefit the state.
Governor Wike said this is the time for all political divides to unite for the development of the state, noting that there is no reason why any Rivers leader should de-market the state.
Speaking further, Governor Wike said that the immediate past Rivers State Commissioner of Police was transferred out of the State because he refused to write a false security report declaring the state unsafe to host the election Tribunal.
“They told the Commissioner of Police to write a security report that here is not safe for the Tribunal. But he refused and the transferred him.
“The Former Minister of Transportation said Rivers State is not safe, but he celebrated his birthday here. The letter Former President Olusegun Obasanjo wrote was not because of Rivers State. But Amaechi is saying Rivers State is not safe.
“All the companies are drilling oil and Nigeria is making money from Rivers State. So Rivers State is safe. I am here and I am here. It is the way God wants it. I will stay here till 2023, then another person will come. Don’t continue to paint Rivers State black”, he said.
He said that since the commencement of his second term, his administration has faced several political and legal challenges, aimed at derailing it. He said he is thanking God for ensuring that he always wins, despite the strength of his opponents.
Governor Wike narrated how Achinike Nwobodo, an aide of the Former Rivers State Governor filed the suit at the Federal High Court and lost in 2018, only for him to return in 2019 to file the same eligibility suit, with another person as the plaintiff, while he (Nwobodo) served as counsel.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Bro. Felix Obuah has hailed Governor Nyesom Wike on his victory at the Supreme Court following a suit challenging his eligibility to contest the last Governorship poll.
Obuah made the commendation in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, the state capital, yesterday, and made available to The Tide.
The statement, which was signed by Obuah’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Jerry Needam, commended the eminent jurists for rising to the occasion, stressing that they have once again, dispensed justice dispassionately.
He also commended their wise decision and forthrightness, reiterating that Wike’s re-election was a divine order, which any attempt by man to upturn, would be an exercise in futility.
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INEC To Unveil New Party Registration Portal As Applications Hit 129

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that it has now received a total of 129 applications from associations seeking registration as political parties.
The update was provided during the commission’s regular weekly meeting held in Abuja, yesterday.
According to a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, seven new applications were submitted within the past week, adding to the previous number.
“At its regular weekly meeting held today, Thursday 10th July 2025, the commission received a further update on additional requests from associations seeking registration as political parties.
“Since last week, seven more applications have been received, bringing the total number so far to 129. All the requests are being processed,” the commission stated.
The commission revealed the introduction of a new digital platform for political party registration. The platform is part of the Party Financial Reporting and Auditing System and aims to streamline the registration process.
Olumekun disclosed that final testing of the portal would be completed within the next week.
“INEC also plans to release comprehensive guidelines to help associations file their applications using the new system.
“Unlike the manual method used in previous registration, the Commission is introducing a political party registration portal, which is a module in our Party Financial Reporting and Auditing System.
“This will make the process faster and seamless. In the next week, the commission will conclude the final testing of the portal before deployment.
“Thereafter, the next step for associations that meet the requirements to proceed to the application stage will be announced. The commission will also issue guidelines to facilitate the filing of applications using the PFRAS,” the statement added.
In the meantime, the list of new associations that have submitted applications has been made available to the public on INEC’s website and other official platforms.
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Tinubu Signs Four Tax Reform Bills Into Law …Says Nigeria Open For Business

President Bola Tinubu yesterday signed into law four tax reform bills aimed at transforming Nigeria’s fiscal and revenue framework.
The four bills include: the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.
They were passed by the National Assembly after months of consultations with various interest groups and stakeholders.
The ceremony took place at the Presidential Villa, yesterday.
The ceremony was witnessed by the leadership of the National Assembly and some legislators, governors, ministers, and aides of the President.
The presidency had earlier stated that the laws would transform tax administration in the country, increase revenue generation, improve the business environment, and give a boost to domestic and foreign investments.
“When the new tax laws become operational, they are expected to significantly transform tax administration in the country, leading to increased revenue generation, improved business environment, and a boost in domestic and foreign investments,” Special Adviser to the President on Media, Bayo Onanuga said on Wednesday.
Before the signing of the four bills, President Tinubu had earlier yesterday, said the tax reform bills will reset Nigeria’s economic trajectory and simplify its complex fiscal landscape.
Announcing the development via his official X handle, yesterday, the President declared, “In a few hours, I will sign four landmark tax reform bills into law, ushering in a bold new era of economic governance in our country.”
Tinubu made a call to investors and citizens alike, saying, “Let the world know that Nigeria is open for business, and this time, everyone has a fair shot.”
He described the bills as not just technical adjustments but a direct intervention to ease burdens on struggling Nigerians.
“These reforms go beyond streamlining tax codes. They deliver the first major, pro-people tax cuts in a generation, targeted relief for low-income earners, small businesses, and families working hard to make ends meet,” Tinubu wrote.
According to the President, “They will unify our fragmented tax system, eliminate wasteful duplications, cut red tape, restore investor confidence, and entrench transparency and coordination at every level.”
He added that the long-standing burden of Nigeria’s tax structure had unfairly weighed down the vulnerable while enabling inefficiency.
The tax reforms, first introduced in October 2024, were part of Tinubu’s post-subsidy-removal recovery plan, aimed at expanding revenue without stifling productivity.
However, the bills faced turbulence at the National Assembly and amongst some state governors who rejected its passing in 2024.
At the NASS, the bills sparked heated debate, particularly around the revenue-sharing structure, which governors from the North opposed.
They warned that a shift toward derivation-based allocations, especially with VAT, could tilt fiscal balance in favour of southern states with stronger consumption bases.
After prolonged dialogue, the VAT rate remained at 7.5 per cent, and a new exemption was introduced to shield minimum wage earners from personal income tax.
By May 2025, the National Assembly passed the harmonised versions with broad support, driven in part by pressure from economic stakeholders and international observers who welcomed the clarity and efficiency the reforms promised.
In his tweet, Tinubu stressed that this is just the beginning of Nigeria’s tax evolution.
“We are laying the foundation for a tax regime that is fair, transparent, and fit for a modern, ambitious Nigeria.
“A tax regime that rewards enterprise, protects the vulnerable, and mobilises revenue without punishing productivity,” he stated.
He further acknowledged the contributions of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee, the National Assembly, and Nigeria’s subnational governments.
The President added, “We are not just signing tax bills but rewriting the social contract.
“We are not there yet, but we are firmly on the road.”
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Senate Issues 10-Day Ultimatum As NNPCL Dodges ?210trn Audit Hearing

The Senate has issued a 10-day ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) over its failure to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts probing alleged financial discrepancies amounting to over ?210 trillion in its audited reports from 2017 to 2023.
Despite being summoned, no officials or external auditors from NNPCL showed up yesterday.
However, representatives from the representatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and Department of State Services were present.
Angered by the NNPCL’s absence, the committee, yesterday, issued a 10-day ultimatum, demanding the company’s top executives to appear before the panel by July 10 or face constitutional sanctions.
A letter from NNPCL’s Chief Financial Officer, Dapo Segun, dated June 25, was read at the session.
It cited an ongoing management retreat and requested a two-month extension to prepare necessary documents and responses.
The letter partly read, “Having carefully reviewed your request, we hereby request your kind consideration to reschedule the engagement for a period of two months from now to enable us to collate the requested information and documentation.
“Furthermore, members of the Board and the senior management team of NNPC Limited are currently out of the office for a retreat, which makes it difficult to attend the rescheduled session on Thursday, 26th June, 2025.
“While appreciating the opportunity provided and the importance of this engagement, we reassure you of our commitment to the success of this exercise. Please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”
But lawmakers rejected the request.
The Committee Chairman, Senator Aliyu Wadada, said NNPCL was not expected to submit documents, but rather provide verbal responses to 11 key questions previously sent.
“For an institution like NNPCL to ask for two months to respond to questions from its own audited records is unacceptable,” Wadada stated.
“If they fail to show up by July 10, we will invoke our constitutional powers. The Nigerian people deserve answers,” he warned.
Other lawmakers echoed similar frustrations.
Senator Abdul Ningi (Bauchi Central) insisted that NNPCL’s Group CEO, Bayo Ojulari, must personally lead the delegation at the next hearing.
The Tide reports that Ojulari took over from Mele Kyari on April 2, 2025.
Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi (Ebonyi North) said the two-month request suggested the company had no answers, but the committee would still grant a fair hearing by reconvening on July 10.
Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) warned the NNPCL against undermining the Senate, saying, “If they fail to appear again, Nigerians will know the Senate is not a toothless bulldog.”
Last week, the Senate panel grilled Segun and other top executives over what they described as “mind-boggling” irregularities in NNPCL’s financial statements.
The Senate flagged ?103 trillion in accrued expenses, including ?600 billion in retention fees, legal, and auditing costs—without supporting documentation.
Also questioned was another ?103 trillion listed under receivables. Just before the hearing, NNPCL submitted a revised report contradicting the previously published figures, raising more concerns.
The committee has demanded detailed answers to 11 specific queries and warned that failure to comply could trigger legislative consequences.
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