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Buhari’s Sole Candidacy ‘ll Crush APC -PDP …Says President ‘ll Not Remain Beyond 2019
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, said with the “emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari, who has become grossly unpopular among Nigerians, as sole presidential candidate,” the All Progressives Congress (APC) “is now irredeemably doomed for a crushing defeat in the 2019 general elections.”
PDP pointed out that President Buhari’s “fear to contest an elective presidential primary, for which he and a few APC leaders scared away other presidential contestants within their party with threats and high nomination form fees, ended up ruining APC’s chance of fielding a good candidate for the election.”
A statement by PDP’s spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday, said, “Had President Buhari shed his desperation for power and allowed for internal democracy within the APC, particularly when it became clear that Nigerians across board have become averse to his re-election, due to his incompetence and insensitivity to the plight of the citizens, there would have been little hope for the APC.
“In muzzling contest in APC and gleefully emerging a sole candidate, President Buhari has merely won a pyrrhic victory; a General without a troop, with no capacity to face a general election, as the army of stakeholders and the masses that supported him in 2015 have since left him because of his unfulfilled promises and many failures in governance.
“Now that Mr. President has confirmed by his body language that he had no chance in a party he leads, how then can he stand a chance in the general elections where millions of Nigerians, who are suffering untold hardship because of his misrule are only waiting to deal him a blow with their votes?
“Owing to Buhari’s incompetence, Nigerians’ purchasing power has become abysmally low, industries have wound up with attendant mass job losses, foreign direct investments have hit all time low, international partners have totally lost confidence in doing business with our compatriots, while this administration has no economic blueprint except borrowing.
“Since President Buhari’s declaration to contest the 2019 election, true democrats and other well-meaning citizens have continued to leave the APC in droves to the repositioned PDP, which has now become the rallying platform for all Nigerians, in their collective quest for a new President among the array of very credible aspirants in the PDP.
“Moreover, while it is settled that President Buhari is no match to any of our presidential aspirants, all indices points to his imminent defeat as the PDP remain committed to a credible, free, fair and transparent Presidential primary, where Nigerians will freely participate to throw up that President that will lead our nation to the path of unity, peace, good governance and economic prosperity for our people.”
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has warned “President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC), to perish the thoughts of staying in power a day beyond May 29, 2019.”
PDP issued the warning in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday.
The opposition party also cautioned the, “Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu not to allow the APC and the Buhari Presidency to use him to execute their plots to frustrate the conduct of credible 2019 elections and push for illegal tenure elongation for President Buhari.”
PDP said it was, “Aware that the mooting of postponement of the already scheduled general elections by the INEC chairman is a product of series of clandestine meetings between his commission and the APC on ways to frustrate the 2019 elections, having realized that there is no hope for President Buhari in the polls.”
The statement reads, “Nigerians and the international community have also noted the various ploys by INEC to frustrate a credible elections, including its stiff opposition to the amendment of the Electoral Act by the National Assembly to check APC rigging plans in addition to its exposed collaborations with INEC to manipulate the voters register, enrol underage voters and secretly creating 30,000 illegal polling centres in certain remote areas from where it plans to allocate fictitious votes to the APC.
“Nigerians may recall that the PDP had earlier alerted of the plot by the Buhari Presidency to enmesh the 2019 elections into a needless controversy by deliberately delaying the presentation of the election budget to the National Assembly until the time the parliament was proceeding on annual recess.
“Ostensibly to ensure that the election does not escape controversy, President Buhari demanded that the fund be taken from already approved budget for lawmakers’ constituency votes, despite entreaties by well-meaning Nigerians for a fresh budget for the elections.
“Seeing that Nigerians are standing shoulder to shoulder with the PDP to resist and dismantle their rigging machinery, the APC and Buhari Presidency are now trying to use INEC to frustrate the elections and cause crisis in our country.”
The party, therefore, “rejects this plot by APC and INEC. The 2019 election must hold as scheduled. Nigerians are ready for elections and cannot wait to vote out President Buhari and his dysfunctional APC.
“In that wise, our party cautions the INEC Chairman to open up, expose the Buhari Presidency and immediately commence the application of its constitutional First Line Charge funding instruments instead entangling itself with the plot to destroy our nation,” the statement added.
However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP0, yesterday, said the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, “misfired in his attempt to lampoon Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, as his claim of absentee leader best suits President Muhammadu Buhari,” and not the governor.
PDP made the remark while reacting to Oshiomhole’s comment that APC would give Taraba State a “resident governor” in 2019.
However, the spokesperson of PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement said, “Unlike Governor Ishaku and other PDP governors, who are busy developing their states, in line with the manifesto of the PDP, President Buhari has spent more days gallivanting across the globe, shopping for elusive international endorsements, than the time he spent in actual governance of our nation.
“We know that Oshiomhole is distraught by the increasing popularity of our party, and particularly the soaring approval rating of our governors, including Governor Ishaku.
“We are not surprised by Oshiomhole’s resort to childish mudslinging and smear campaign, instead of concentrating on ways to solve the problems he created in his derelict party, which is now stuck with an unpopular Presidential candidate.
“Moreover, whereas President Buhari, APC’s brand face, cannot boast of any developmental project he has initiated and executed in the last three years, Governor Ishaku has been busy commissioning projects that have a direct bearing on the people in all critical sectors of their lives.
“Also, while APC governors are only good at moulding statues, commissioning boreholes and regular bus stops, PDP governors are commissioning mega landmark projects, many of which President Buhari’s handlers lobbied for him to be allowed to cut the tape in an attempt to shore up his performance rating before Nigerians and the international community.
“Finally, since Oshiomhole has identified absenteeism as a major defect for which a leader should be removed, we charge him to start scripting his party’s handover note ahead of 2019 election, as President Buhari ranks as the most absentee leader in the history of our nation.”
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.
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.”
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.