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2019 Guber, Assembly Polls: INEC Seals Rivers APC’s Hope …Delists Cole, Others From Final List …Excludes Zamfara APC Candidates,Too
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final list of governorship and House of Assembly candidates in Rivers State, with candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) missing.
It would be recalled that INEC had Thursday, January 17, released a list signed by the commission’s Secretary, Rose Orianran-Anthony, and while candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Labour Party, among others, made the list, those of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were excluded.
A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, the state capital had nullified the direct and indirect primaries conducted by the two factions of the APC in Rivers State.
The court presided over by Justice Kolawole Omotosho held that both primaries were not conducted according to the law.
Omotosho had also restrained the electoral body from recognising Arch Tonye Cole and Senator Magnus Abe as governorship candidates of the APC in the general elections.
Abe was declared the winner of a direct governorship primary conducted by a faction of the party in 2018 after polling 144, 929 votes while Cole emerged the winner of an indirect primary held by another faction with 3,329 votes.
Following the rulings, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers State, Obo Effanga, insisted that the electoral umpire would always obey court injunctions.
In the same vein, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) refused to shift ground on its earlier decision to stop the All Progressives Congress (APC) from presenting candidates for the forthcoming general elections in Zamfara State.
INEC, which had earlier said it would release the final list of governorship and State Assembly candidates, yesterday, however, said the status quo remained unchanged.
The commission made the clarification in a statement issued, last Wednesday night by its National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye.
Okoye said, “The Independent National Electoral Commission met on Wednesday, January 30 2019, and among other things, approved the final list of candidates for the governorship, State Assembly and FCT Area Council elections scheduled to hold on March 2, 2019.
“On the whole, there are 1, 066 candidates for the governorship elections, 14, 583 for the State Assembly elections and 806 for the FCT Area Council elections broken down into 105 chairmanship candidates and 701 councillorship candidates.”
Meanwhile, there were serious jubilations within the opposition parties in Zamfara State as the INEC, yesterday, disqualified all the candidates of the APC in the state from contesting the 2019 general elections in the state.
According to the governorship candidate of the PDP in the state, Dr Bello Mohammed Matawalle, the official release from the commission which excluded the state wing of APC from contesting the elections was a very transparent development.
According to him, INEC has proved to Nigerians that the 2019 general elections would be free, fair, credible and acceptable.
According to him, INEC has obeyed the judiciary, noting that the Federal High court’s judgment supersedes a state High Court, appealing to the commission to ensure that justice prevails in the 2019 general elections.
In another reaction, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Alhaji Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi noted that he was waiting for APC in the state to flag-off its campaign before going to the Appeal Court, noting that INEC has done what was expected of the commission to do.
The presidential candidate of Nigerian Elements Progressive Party (NEPP), Comrade Ishaka Paul Ofemile said he was impressed with the decision of INEC.
He noted that Nigeria was so big for anybody to use federal might or power of incumbency to manipulate the decision of over 150 million citizens.
On his part, Senator Garba Kabiru Marafa, representing Zamfara Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, pointed out that Governor Abdulaziz Yari wanted to prove to the world that he was the Alpha and Omega in the state.
The senator noted that Yari came to the political limelight from nowhere through the political influence of Senator Ahmad Sani Yarima.
Marafa noted that even though he was not going to contest the governorship election, he was satisfied that Yari did not achieve his selfish interest after all.
Meanwhile, all the APC candidates and their supporters have remained silent, waiting for the governor to enter the state Government House and make a public statement.
It would be recalled that the faction of the governor within the party had conducted the party primary elections in the state which the G8 group, the national headquarters of APC and INEC rejected.
The rejection of the primaries forced the camp of the governor to proceed to court against both the national headquarters of the party and INEC, praying the court to uphold the primaries.
However, the state High Court sitting in Gusau, the state capital, upheld the primaries while the Federal High Court, Abuja, declared the elections non-acceptable, thereby, upholding the decision of INEC not to allow the APC candidates in the state to contest the general elections.
It was not yet known what would be the next line of action by the state chapter of the party even though it was gathered that President Muhammadu Buhari has now concluded plans for his presidential campaign in the state.
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.”