Politics
PDP Rues Lagos Gov’s N250bn Loan Request
The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the state’s House of Assembly to summon Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to explain his assertion that the state will not be able to generate internal revenue for the remaining period of the year.
The PDP was reacting to the Governor’s letter to the Lagos State House of Assembly to approve a N250 billion loan for the state.
Sanwo-Olu in a recent letter to the lawmakers said the budgetary provisions for both recurrent and capital budget of Ministries, Departments and Agencies were not likely to be utilised before the end of the year and the sum of N34.050 billion could be re-ordered.
He added that the government was constrained by the lack of revenue for the remaining months of the year and, as a result, would not be in a position to propose a supplementary budget; hence, the recourse to re-ordering 2019 budget.
The state PDP, however, in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Taofik Gani, said that the assertion that the state cannot generate additional revenue was false and misleading.
“We declare this assertion as very uninformed and deliberately to divert the state internally generated revenue (IGR). We have intelligence report that the state IGR is now around N60 to N70 billion every month, but that the actual collections are never made public. What the Lagos House of Assembly should rather do is to summon the Governor, and his Commissioner for Finance, to explain to Lagosians how the state would not have IGR for the remaining months in the year,” the party stated.
“The PDP states that the loan request must be opposed by Lagosians because the request is made under very unclear needs and, unless the Governor allows public defense of the loan request, we hold that 60 per cent of the sought loan is to be shared essentially to placate the chieftains of the APC.”
The PDP also called on the House of Assembly to reappraise revenue collection in the state to make Alpha Betta, the company that collects revenue on behalf of the state, account for every penny it collects on behalf of the state.
“Indeed, the time is now over due for the IGR collecting private company, Alpha Betta, to be reappraised and brought to account to Lagosians. Lagosians have long been shortchanged,” the PDP said.
It accused the Sanwo-Olu administration of needlessly trying to plunge the state into terminal economic misdirection with a loan it said is not meant to develop the state but to be shared among political associates.
“As it is, Lagos State is already indebted to over N2 trillion as local and foreign loans; whereas, there are indeed no projects to evidence such colossal debt. All the assumed developments in the state are pivoted by private investors, philanthropic individuals and donor organisations.
“Lagosians are at the lowest ebb of development relative to the colossal debt incurred and meant for developments. Now experiencing worst distress and economic hardship, the so called emergencies declared by Governor Sanwo-Olu have all turned out to be mere political statements compelled to feign concern. This is so as no evidence of immediate actions can be noticed,” Gani said in the party statement.
The party spokesman cautioned that any attempt by the House of Assembly to approve the loan request will be tantamount to the lawmakers declaring a vote of no confidence on itself.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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