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APC Plotting To Attack NASS Leadership Next Week -CUPP …Says Move ‘ll Endanger Democracy …As APC Chieftain Declares Support For Atiku …NASS Retains Card Reader In Electoral Act
The Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress, APC, had begun fresh plot to attack the leadership of the National Assembly.
The coalition, in a statement, yesterday, by its National Spokesperson, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, said it “uncovered yet another plot by the outgoing APC-led Federal Government to yet endanger our democracy and push our country closer to the edge of the cliff preparatory to finally pushing it over for total destruction.”
“This latest dastardly act by the anti-democratic forces of the APC included the surreptitious filing of a suit and seeking out a compromised judge who will in controversial circumstances grant an exparte application directing that one-third of the Senators/House members can demand to open either chambers of the National Assembly,” the statement said.
It further read thus:”CUPP has been informed that the plot also includes the police inviting the leadership of the National Assembly just before the controversial ruling and their subsequent detention with a black market injunction from a magistrate court thereby paving way for the unlawful and violent change of the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives.
“Some of the security agencies will provide security cover for the coupists while a section of the media has been coopted to churn out news and justification for such evil plots.
“This kind of desperation by the outgoing APC and Presidency can only be likened to the last kicks of a dying horse which usually gives it the hope that it will salvage the head which is already off.
“The ship of the APC is fast sinking and is obviously beyond redemption. “Nigerians are daily convinced that the APC was a mistake made in 2015 and are also resolved that they are a mistake to be corrected in 2019.
“It is worrisome that the Party entrusted by Nigerians to provide leadership, growth and development for the country could in one plot compromise the judiciary, the legislature, the Police, the Department of State Services, the media and indeed all institutions of our democracy.
“In the coming days, Nigerians and indeed all lovers of democracy world over are hereby placed on alert to watch out for the unfolding of this plot and call on the Presidency and the APC not to destroy our democracy before they leave office in eight months as Nigerians have rejected them and cannot wait to send them packing in the next general elections.
“We call on the international community to place key members of the APC led Federal government on watch list and ensure they have no hiding place anywhere in the world should anything happen to our democracy. “
However, the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has denied accusations by the Coalition of United Political Parties CUPP that it planned to attack the National Assembly on resumption from recess.
Meanwhile, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Yahaya Kwande, yesterday caused a stir as he attended a rally of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) organised for former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
Atiku, a presidential aspirant of the PDP, was in Jos yesterday to lobby national delegates from the state ahead of the party’s presidential primaries.
Prior to Atiku’s visit, there were rumours that Mr Kwande would attend the meeting with Plateau State PDP members, even though he is a chieftain of APC .
Our correspondent who witnessed the event reports that Mr Kwande was given a microphone to speak on Mr Abubakar’s aspiration.
“I know you will be surprised to see me in the state PDP secretariat. I have never entered this secretariat but today I am in your midst. I have never stood where I am standing now. There is a reason for me being here.
“If today you I say I am not together with Atiku, you are already a mad man. I am fully with Atiku. My loyalty to Atiku is very certain. There are many people waiting for this day and the day has come. They were speculating that they will see whether I will welcome him.
“I have never found myself in this kind of politics. In the state, I have my son who is Lalong and father at the centre who is Atiku Abubakar. I would be afraid whenever Atiku will come
“In the whole of Nigeria, Atiku is the best person to lead the country. Let us support Atiku. Let us rally around him. We pray God should help Atiku win the 2019 presidential election. People should not be surprised to see that one day , I will personally bring Lalong before Atiku like I did it when you were in APC. People should not be surprised if myself and Lalong return to PDP.”
The APC chieftain, however, said he is still a member of APC because he is still holding APC card.
“As I am standing here, I am still a member of APC. I call on all of you to be patient. There would be special day for me to talk. It is not today, “ Mr Kwande said.
In a related development, the National Assembly yesterday bent over to amend the last version (the third) of the 2018 Electoral Amendment Bill which President Muhammadu Buhari declined to assent to , reviewing the sections he raised complaints about.
The Joint Committee of the two chambers at their meeting affected amendments on all the sections , President Buhari noted as obstacles to his assent and deleted one of the said problematic clauses. .
Shotly before the end of the 31 days life span of the third version of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill (2018), sent to the Presidency for approval, President Buhari had communicated to the lawmakers his refusal of assent to the amendment bill listing about 14 contentious areas that must be addressed by the federal lawmakers for him to to sign the Bill into law.
According to the Chairman of the joint committee Senator Suleiman Nazif, President Buhari’s complaints and observations were accordingly addressed in the 4th version of the bill adopted by the joint committee of the National Assembly on Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) at the Tuesday meeting.
The affected sections as announced by Senator Nazi are 9(1A) , 9(B5), 18( 1-4), 19(4), 30(1), 31(1) and 31(7).
Others are 36(3), 44(3-4), 67( a-d), 87(2), 87(14) and 1124.
While section 9(1A) deals with voters registers in electronic format and manual or hard copy format , section 18(14) deals with process of replacement of voters card by the INEC on demand by voters which it states must not be done less than 30 days before election.
Section 36(3) of the adopted bill makes provision for constitutional way out on sudden death of candidate of political party in the course of election as it happened in 2016 Kogi gubernatorial election.
The section states: “ If after the commencement of poll and before the announcement of the final result and declaration of a winner, the leading candidate dies , (a), the commission shall, being satisfied of the fact of the death, suspend the election for a period not exceeding 21 days.
“(b) the political party whose candidate died may , if it intends to continue to participate in the election , conduct a fresh primary within 7 days of the death of its candidate and submit a new candidate to replace the dead candidate
“ (c) subject to paragraphs (a) and (b) , the commission shall continue with the election. , announce the final result and declare a winner”
The Chairman however added that section 34(2-4) which deals with added laws on commission of party logo on ballot papers was delected .
This was as he explained that at no time was provision for usuage of card reader selected in any of the versions of the electoral bills .
Senator Nazif noted that the adopted 4th electoral bill is a harmonized version of the 2nd and 3rd submissions.
It would be recalled that the first version of the bill forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari in February this year by the federal lawmakers was rejected as a result of introduction of new sequence of election provided for in section 25(1) of the bill.
The second version forwarded to the President in June after removal of the new sequence of elections provisions, was outrightly vetoed by the President by not considering it in anyway before it got constitutionally expired on his table on the 26th of July 2018, while he declined assent to the third based on the said complaints over some clauses therein.
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.
The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) said over 17 million Nigerians travelled out between 2023 and 2024.
This is as the association announced that it would be organising a maiden edition of Eastern Travel Market 2025 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital from 27th to 30th August, 2025.
Vice Chairman of NANTA, Eastern Zone, Hope Ehiogie, disclosed this during a news briefing in Port Harcourt.
Ehiogie explained that the event aims to bring together over 1,000 travel professionals to discuss the future of the industry in the nation and give visibility to airlines, hospitality firms, hospitals and institutions in the South-South and South-East, tagged Eastern Zone.
He stated that the 17 million number marks a significant increase in overseas travel and tours.
According to him, “Nigerian travel industry has seen significant growth, with 17 million people traveling out of the country in 2023”.
Ehiogie further said the potential of tourism and travel would bring in over $12 million into the nation’s economy by 2026, saying it would be a major spike in the sector, as 2024 recorded about $4 million.
“The potential of tourism and travel is that it can generate about $12 million for the nation’s economy by 2026. Last year it was $4 million.
“In the area of travels, over 17 million Nigerians traveled out of the country two years ago for different purposes. This included, health, religious purposes, visit, education and others,” Ehiogie said.
While highlighting the potential of Nigeria’s tourism, he said the hospitality industry in Nigeria has come of age, saying it is now second to none.
The Vice Chairman of NANTA, Eastern Zone further said, “We are not creating an enabling environment for business to thrive. We need to support the industry and provide the necessary infrastructure for growth.”
He said the country has a lot of tourism potential, especially as the government is now showing interest in and supporting the sector.
Ehiogie emphasized that NANTA has been working to support the industry with initiatives such as training schools and platforms for airlines and hotels to sell their products.
He added, “We now have about four to five training schools in the region, and within two years, the first set of students will graduate. We are helping airlines sell tickets and hotels sell their rooms.”
Also speaking, former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NANTA, Stephen Isokariari of Dial Travels, called for more support from the industry.
Isokariari stated, “We need to work together to grow the industry and contribute to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
“With the right support and infrastructure, the Nigerian travel industry has the potential to make a significant contribution to the nation’s economy.”