The Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) has scheduled yet another meeting on the Niger Crisis.
The regional body had met in Abuja on August and issued a 7-day deadline for the Niger junta to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum or risk sanctions, including possible military intervention.
But rather than reinstate Bazoum, the junta severed ties with Nigeria and some other countries sympathetic to Bazoum’s cause.
The military regime, which declared their Commander General, Abdourahamane Tchiani the new head of state, vowed not to bow to outside pressure.
It also warned against foreign intervention, vowing to defend the territorial integrity of Niger.
On Friday, military chiefs of some West African countries said they had agreed on a plan for possible military intervention in the event push for a diplomatic solution failed.
The chiefs of defence staff from Togo, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Cote D’ivoire, Cabo Verde and the Republic of Benin held the meeting in Abuja.
ECOWAS had last week sent a high-powered delegation to broker peace with the coupists but their representatives met with the team led by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd).
On Monday, President Bola Tinubu, who is chairman of ECOWAS, sent a notice of meeting scheduled for Thursday in Abuja.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Chairman of the
Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) has convened another Extraordinary Summit of the Authority on the political situation in the Republic of Niger. The Summit will hold in Abuja, on Thursday, August 10, 2023.”
“The ECOWAS Leaders will be considering and discussing the political situation and recent developments in Niger during the Summit,” read a statement issued by the regional body.
The coup leaders have not issued any statement on the deadline yet.
Daily Trust correspondents who are now at the Nigerian borders with Niger in Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa and Borno states, said though there was no fight, millions of people are in dire straits due to fear of the unknown occasioned by high cost or shortage of basic necessities of life like food and drugs.
The residents, Nigerians and Nigeriens alike, said they detest war and called on ECOWAS to have a rethink in line with a clarion call by prominent groups and individuals.
The Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI) was the latest to call on Tinubu –led regional bloc to trade with caution.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman (rtd), the group urged ECOWAS to consider the immediate and long-term implications of its actions on the people of the Niger Republic and the wider West African sub-region.
Also, the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, through its Secretary General, Professor Khalid Aliyu commended the efforts so far undertaken by the Nigerian government, particularly the initiation of a dialogue process, aimed at resolving the crisis in Niger Republic.
“While this attempt may not have yielded the desired results, it demonstrates Nigeria’s commitment to peaceful resolutions.” JNI also cautioned taking military action against the junta in Niger because of the apparent wider negative implication on Nigeria.
…Says reforms a necessary
The various taxes administered by the three tiers of government are to be harmonized in a fresh move to incentivize compliance and increase tax revenue.
The Chairman of the Joint Tax Board (JTB) Mr. Muhammad Nami, disclosed this at the meeting with Chairmen of States Internal Revenue Boards, in Abuja, this afternoon.
“Harmonization and codification of taxes at the National and Sub-national levels: Key to achieving a tax friendly environment in Nigeria,” was the theme of the meeting.
According to him, his team was moving from the level of discussion to practicalising the much-needed tax harmonization in the country.
Mr. Nami said that President Bola Tinubu was determined to ensure necessary steps were taking to encourage more Nigerians to comply with their tax obligations, which has been identified as panacea to raising tax revenue.
His words, “we have moved from just talking about harmonizing the various taxes. We are now at the level of actual harmonization. President Tinubu is very serious about addressing the problem of multiplicity of taxes.
“I have addressed the State Governors at the National Economic Council and we have all agreed that it better to harmonise the taxes, have fewer taxes and effective collect them through encouraging tax payers to comply.
“As the new administrations attempt to address the many socioeconomic challenges facing the nation on many fronts, it becomes imperative for all the levels of State to shake-off any lethargic antecedents and focus on the goal of a national resurgence.
“The unique and privileged offices we occupy as drivers of the nation’s tax administration processes presents us with a rare opportunity to take hard, but necessary decisions that are expected to yield long term benefits and add immense value to our collective prosperity as a nation.
“In recent years, especially since the dawn of our current democratic dispensation, the importance of taxation has continued to be reiterated and reinforced by all, and the critical role that tax-revenue plays in funding government and governance cannot be over-emphasized.”
Mr. Nami who is also the Chairman of the Federal Inland revenue service (FIRS) said that the organization would protect small businesses, while making sure that informal sector operators were brought into the tax net.
He was specific that business with less than N25 million turnover were tax exempt.
Earlier, the Chairman, Presidential Fiscal Policy & Tax Reforms Committee, Mr. Taiwo Oyeleye, stressed the need to drastically reduce the number of taxes imposed on members of the Nigeria public and businesses in the country.
He pointed out that multiple taxation was causing low tax morale in the country, as well as discouraging investments, while creating room for corruption and making doing business difficult.
According to him, “Many MDA (Ministries, Departments and Agencies) Specialicised Purpose vehicles are set up and allowed to collect taxes and taxes are building up every day.
“Last year alone, there were four new taxes. My team did a study and found out that there were 44 Bill in the works at the National Assembly with various types of taxes.”
Mr. Taiwo noted that multiple taxation always resulted in low tax morale of the people and that many business owners viewed government’s imposition of multiple taxes on them as being against such businesses.
He added, “Ironically, the more taxes you have, the lower the tax revenue you collect. A lot of Nigerians pay taxes that don’t get to government. Businesses are made to pay taxes from their capital. That is the surest way to ruin those businesses.”
The tax expert made a comparison of tax revenues between Nigeria and South Africa’s tax revenue and concluded that tax earnings by the latter were way far more that what Nigeria earned annually, despite the fact that the country administered many more than South Africa.
He disclosed that South Africa raised about N78.2 trillion equivalents in tax revenue in 2022 alone, which he explained was more that all the budgets of all three tiers of government in Nigeria put together.
In 2022, Nigeria’s federal, states, local governments’ entire tax revenue stood at N15. 2 trillion.
Mr. Taiwo said that the top echelon of the Nigerian society from where the chunk of the Personal Income Tax revenue should have come from either don’t pay taxes at all or pay much less than they should.
A situation, he said must be urgently addressed, to the significantly raise tax revenue, and drastically cut borrowings.
Italy has urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to extend its deadline for the reinstatement of Niger’s ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
ECOWAS had given the Nigerien coup leaders a week to meet its demands of restoring order or face harder sanctions, including the use of force.
Mali and Burkina Faso had also warned ECOWAS against any further interventions, adding that they would be forced to also adopt “self-defence measures” in support of the “brotherly” armed forces and the people of Niger.
Niger closed its airspace on Sunday, citing the threat of military intervention from the regional bloc after coup leaders defied the deadline to reinstate Bazoum.
Earlier, thousands of supporters flocked to a stadium in Niamey, the capital, cheering the new military regime.
Many stakeholders and countries including Russia have urged ECOWAS to explore other forms of mediation instead of force.
In an interview on Monday, Antonio Tajani, Italian foreign minister, said the only way forward is through diplomacy.
“The only way is the diplomatic one. I hope that the ultimatum of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which expired last night at midnight, will be extended today,” Tajani said.
Although ECOWAS defence chiefs had backed dialogue as the primary intervention to restore democracy, the military leaders said they have drawn up a possible military action plan, including when and where to strike, if the situation arises.
After Uproar Over Keyamo’s Screening
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, rushed to the Presidential Villa as soon as the Senate dissolved into executive session during consideration of Festus Keyamo for ministerial appointment.
The nominee had appeared for screening before the Senate but saw an inquest into his role as Minister of State for Labour and Employment during the administration of Muhammadu Buhari come under serious focus.
Keyamo was asked to explain why he blocked the House of Representatives and ignored Senate summons for key decisions he took as minister.
It led into a rowdy session before the chamber went into executive session.
But Akpabio dashed to the presidential villa and is currently holding a meeting with Tinubu.
Senate Steps Down Keyamo’s Screening After Uproar
The Senate on Monday stepped down the screening of Festus Keyamo, a ministerial nominee, sent by President Bola Tinubu for confirmation.
Keyamo, one of the nominees from Delta State, appeared as the last nominee to be screened.
Keyamo had served as a Minister of State for Niger Delta said Labour and Employment under the administration of Muhammadu Buhari and served as the campaign spokesman for the Tinubu campaign organisation.
No sooner had Keyamo appeared and introduced himself than Darlington Nwokocha (Abia Central, Labour Party) asked why he ignored Senate summon over the controversial Special Public Works Programme for the employment of 774,000 citizens in 2020.
The Senate had approved N52 billion for the scheme.
But when summoned, Keyamo appeared before the House but refused to appear before the Senate.
When he appeared before the House of Representatives, it led to a shouting match.
Keyamo then accused the House that it wanted “to hijack the entire programme, taking over the power of the president in the process.”
He further said, “Meanwhile they are comfortable with the eight which are clearly stated like Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Jammatu Nasir Islam (JNI) and others. The others are youth organisations and we cannot list youth organisations because from state to state there are different youths organisations depending on the peculiarity of the state.
“The background to this was that a couple of days ago, they started mounting pressure on me that I must bring the list of those to select the 1000 persons from all the local government to them for them to direct me as to what to do from state to state.
“The chairman insisted I must come to them privately for them to hand over to me certain instructions as to how this programme will be across the country. I said ‘no’ that would be sharing the powers of the President and that I can only be answerable for what I have done by virtue of the provisions of the Constitution.
“They can only investigate the programme, they cannot direct it,” he had said.
Senator Nwokocha then recalled the episode which he described as unpleasant when Keyamo walked out on the House and refused to provide details of the scheme.
The senator was a House Member at the time.
After making the case, he raised a prayer that “the nominee must be made to explain who benefited from the scheme, even if at an executive session.”
Curiously, Akpabio responded to the motion saying, “Your motion has no seconder.”
That degenerated into an uproar before Enyinnaya Abaribe, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA, Abia South) seconded the prayer, but amended the prayer that “the nominee screening be stepped down.”
The presiding officer put the prayer to a vote but it led to a sharply divided house.
The ensuing chaos lasted for minutes forcing Akpabio to summon the leaders of the Senate to approach him for private discussion.
Akpabio expressed dissatisfaction with the uproar and referred the senators to Order 62 of the Senate Standing Rule which states that “Whenever the president of the Senate or the chairman rises during a debate, any senator then speaking or offering to speak shall immediately sit down.
“And the Senate or the committee shall be silent so that the president of the Senate or the chairman may hear without any interruption.
Akpabio said, “I am of the view that we are not the people that nominated the nominees that we have been screening from the president.
“A lot of indices must have been taken into consideration. Under a rowdy situation, we cannot arrive at anything.
“And I have noticed that even here, that you are prepared to even stretch the rule to even ask for a revision but we would not go that route.”
He called on the Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti) to “lead us right.”
Bamidele rose to say, “May I at this time move that we dissolve into an executive session to be able to iron out some issues.”
The motion was seconded by Senate Minority Leader, Simon Mwadwon (PDP -Plateau).
Akpabio put the motion into vote and the Senate dissolved into the executive session afterwards after extending their time of sitting.
A report emerging has revealed that youths in the Republic of Niger, especially in the country’s capital city, Niamey, are currently forming vigilante groups ahead of possible military intervention by neighbouring countries to unseat the new junta.
Naija News reports that the ultimatum issued by the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS’ to the junta to restore normalcy in the country elapsed on Sunday, August 6, 2023.
There has been tension all over as Niger’s democratically elected President, Mohamed Bazoum, who was outed by the military junta, is still held captive.
It was, however, said that vigilante groups in Niger are already creating roadblocks at several junctions and roundabouts as they commence inspection of vehicles.
Daily Post quoted a DPA reporter in the country that the youths belong to support committees that previously organized demonstrations backing Niger’s new military rulers led by Bazoum’s former head bodyguard, General Abdourahmane Tchiani.
Niger’s military rulers closed the country’s airspace late on Sunday, warning that any attempt to violate it would be met with an “energetic and immediate response.’’
The country’s airspace would be closed to all aircraft until further notice, a statement from the military rulers added.
ECOWAS, which groups 15 West African countries, issued its ultimatum to the junta last Sunday.
The organization’s military chiefs have since drawn up a plan for possible military intervention.
In a dramatic turn of events, coup leaders in Niger have issued a rallying call to the nation’s citizens, urging them to prepare for the defense of the homeland. The move comes after the expiration of a deadline set by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which had demanded the swift restoration of democratic governance in the country.
General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the long-standing head of the Presidential Guard since 2011, took to state television to declare himself as the leader of the newly formed “National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland.” This proclamation signals a consolidation of power among the coup leaders, as they appear poised to defy international pressures to relinquish control.
The ECOWAS deadline had given the coup leaders a clear ultimatum to return power to civilian rule, following the ousting of the democratically elected government. As the deadline passed, tensions escalated, with General Tchiani’s broadcast raising the stakes even higher. The international community watches with bated breath as the situation unfolds.
The Nigerien population finds itself at a critical juncture, torn between loyalty to democratic principles and concerns for the stability of their nation. The call to arms by the coup leaders has left many citizens unsure of the path forward, as they grapple with the potential consequences of resistance against the newly established authority.
ECOWAS, a regional bloc known for its commitment to upholding democratic norms, has condemned the coup and its subsequent power grab. The organization had implemented targeted sanctions and diplomatic pressure in an effort to restore civilian rule. However, General Tchiani’s televised announcement has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the effectiveness of these measures.
While the international community remains united in its condemnation of the coup, the situation on the ground is becoming increasingly complex. The people of Niger now face a difficult decision as they navigate the call to defend their homeland against the backdrop of escalating tensions and political uncertainty.
As the world holds its breath, the fate of Niger hangs in the balance. Will the citizens heed the call to defend their homeland, or will the pressure from ECOWAS and the international community push the coup leaders to reconsider their course of action? The coming days will undoubtedly shape the trajectory of this crisis and determine whether Niger can find a path back to democratic governance.
Source: Spectator Index
The ECOWAS delegation to Niger led by former Nigerian military leader Abdulsalami Abubakar was humiliated Thursday by the Nigerien junta as the members were prevented from leaving the airport, PREMIUM TIMES can report.
A Nigerian government source briefed about the visit told this newspaper that the three-man team sent to negotiate with the junta leaders was not allowed into the country.
Before departing Abuja, the delegation had informed Niamey of its mission and the latter showed readiness to receive them, the source said. However, this turned out to be a plot to humiliate the sub-regional bloc.
ECOWAS on Wednesday named Mr Abubakar, ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray and the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar III, as envoys to Niger. They were expected to engage all stakeholders robustly with a view to doing whatever it takes to ensure a conclusive and amicable resolution of the situation in Niger for the purposes of African peace and development.
According to the source, the delegation was received from the aircraft at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, when they arrived at the Niamey airport, by a five-man team led by General Moussa Barmou (Head of General Staff). The general, however, told them that they could not be allowed into the city, citing security reasons.
The delegation was taken to a room in the airport, the source told PREMIUM TIMES.
Pictures of the delegation and Niger soldiers sitting at a table emerged online last Thursday with many thinking that was part of the official meetings the ECOWAS delegation was sent to hold.
However, contrary to public perception, the picture was that of the ECOWAS leaders being kept in a room at the airport by the soldiers who came to receive them.
After about five hours of pleading to be allowed into the city to see the leader of the junta General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the team left Niger making no headway.
The ECOWAS delegation was told to return to Nigeria while the junta reviews their request and revert. They arrived in Nigeria at about 1:00 a.m. on Friday.
Third Delegation
The Abdulsalami-led delegation is however not the first delegation to be sent to Niger by ECOWAS. It is in fact the third.
In the early hours of Wednesday, 26 July, when President Mohamed Bazoum was still detained and the coup had not been officially announced, a three-member team led by the Director General of Nigeria’s National Investigation Agency (NIA), Ahmed Abubakar, was also sent to negotiate with the coup leaders.
Former Governor of Katsina Aminu Masari and Chief of Air Staff Hassan Abubakar were part of the team, PREMIUM TIMES learnt.
They were quickly dispatched to Niger when the news of President Bazoum’s detention came in.
However, as soon as the delegation left Niamey, the coup was declared; a clear indication that the mission failed.
Another delegation was sent after the coup was officially announced. The delegation was sent on the day the ECOWAS Heads of State met in Abuja in an emergency meeting convened by the chair, President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria.
The President of Chad, Mahamat Dérby, was sent to Niger where he met with the junta leader, Mr Bazoum and former President Mahamadou Issoufou.
He offered the junta a “soft landing” which was also rejected.
The Chad leader shared pictures he took with Mr Bazoum and the coup leaders on the social networking platform, X (formerly called Twitter).
Après avoir effectué ce matin un séjour éclair de consultation à Abuja au Nigeria sur l’invitation du président Nigérian, Président en exercice de la CEDEAO, j’ai bouclé mon déplacement par une visite au #Niger qui traverse une crise politique majeure.
À Niamey, j’ai eu des… pic.twitter.com/jxiM0TCiXS
— Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno (@GmahamatIdi) July 30, 2023
Benin’s President Patrice Talon was also sent to Niger. However, it remains unclear if he made the trip.
When asked about the outcome of the visit of the Abdulsalami-led delegation, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Adamu Lamuwa, last Friday said “Negotiations are ongoing, it is too early to preempt the outcome of the discussion.”
PREMIUM TIMES also reached Mr Tinubu’s spokesperson Ajuri Ngalele for comments. In response, he shared a post he made on X which read, “H.E. President @officialABAT on Sunday evening met with Governors of States that share boundaries with Niger Republic at the State House in Abuja. The meeting was part of wider consultations by the President on the situation in Niger.”
The governors of Sokoto, Kebbi, Yobe, Katsina, and Jigawa were in attendance at the meeting.
ECOWAS last Sunday issued a seven days ultimatum to the Niger putschists to ensure a return to democracy. However, the deadline lapsed Sunday night and there has been no formal announcement of the next line of action by the regional bloc.
ECOWAS defence chiefs met in Nigeria between Wednesday and Friday last week agreeing on a plan of action.
“All the elements that would go into any eventual intervention have been brought out here and been refined, including the timing, the resources needed and the how and where and when we are going to deploy such a force,” said Abdel-Fatau Musah, ECOWAS commissioner for political affairs, peace and security at the meeting of defence chiefs.
President Tinubu last week notified the National Assembly of the ECOWAS resolutions including the possibility of troops deployment. Parliamentary approval would be needed to deploy Nigeria’s troops.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the Senate opposed troop deployment and advised Mr Tinubu and ECOWAS to explore a political solution to the crisis.
[PREMIUM TIMES]
Niger Republic is waiting for a response from the West African regional bloc, Economic Community Of West African States, ECOWAS, after coup leaders in Niamey ignored a deadline to reinstate the ousted president – a move the bloc has warned could lead it to authorise military intervention.
ECOWAS has said it would issue a statement on its next steps in response to the junta’s refusal to cave in to external pressure to stand down by Sunday following the July 26 power grab.
The bloc has taken a hard stance on the region’s seventh coup in three years. Given its uranium and oil riches and its pivotal role in a war with Islamist militants, Niger also holds importance for the United States, Europe, China, and Russia.
On Sunday, as the deadline expired, the junta closed its airspace until further notice, citing the increased threat of military intervention.
An escalation in the standoff with ECOWAS could further destabilise one of the world’s poorest regions, which is in the grip of a hunger crisis and battling an insurgency that has killed thousands and forced millions to flee.
ECOWAS defence chiefs have agreed on a possible military action plan, including when and where to strike, if the detained president, Mohamed Bazoum, is not released and reinstated.
Any military intervention could be complicated by a promise from juntas in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso to come to Niger’s defence if needed.
On Sunday, Italy said it had reduced its troop numbers in Niger to make room in its military base for Italian civilians who may need protection if security deteriorates.
[DailyPost]
The Obi-Datti Campaign Organisation yesterday declared that with the damning evidence before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PREPEC) in Abuja against President Bola Tinubu, he would not participate in the rerun election should the poll be annulled.
Also, the Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Phrank Shaibu, said that there is palpable fear in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on the likelihood of the court upturning the election of President Tinubu.
Spokesperson and Head of Media of the organisation, Mr. Diran Onifade, told THISDAY yesterday that President Tinubu’s legal team did not only mislead him but also effortlessly tried to hoodwink the Justice Haruna Tsammani-led five-man panel.
President Tinubu had last Tuesday appealed to the justices of the PREPEC to exclude the presidential candidate of the LP, Mr. Peter Obi, and his party in the event of any rerun presidential election, claiming that only he and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, are constitutionally qualified to recontest the rerun election.
Tinubu, through his lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), and the counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), had argued that should the justices of the court void the February 25, 2023, presidential election, Obi and his party should not be allowed to re-contest.
Olanipekun had while arguing his final written address, declared that Obi should not be allowed to participate in the rerun election because he came third in the race.
But the LP described the claim by Tinubu’s lawyers as an attempt to foist his position on the panel of justices, adding that if there would be any rerun, Tinubu would not be on the ballot based on the evidence before the PREPEC.
Onifade said Tinubu’s appeal for the exclusion of Obi and the LP from participating in the proposed rerun and his last-minute effort to challenge the outcome of the election in Kano State showed that he has lost the votes allegedly stolen from Obi in Rivers and Benue states.
He said: “If there will be a second election, it will be between the top two. Tinubu will not be among the top two because all the issues we raised are enough to disqualify him. The certificate forgery, the drug trafficking forfeiture, the invalid nomination of his vice, etc. All those things would have disqualified him in the first place.
“So, he is not going to be on the ballot. All these things that his lawyers are doing are just to make him comfortable. They have misled him and are also trying to mislead and hoodwink the justices. The justices are not foolish.
“They are claiming that the constitution says that even if it’s true that he has a case of forfeiture, after 10 years, you have been cleared. But that is not true. They are just being clever by half. The section of the constitution they are talking about has so many subsections and only one of them has the 10 years moratorium and it doesn’t cover him.
“So, if there is going to be another election, their man would have been disqualified,” Onifade explained.
On the claim that Obi came third, he said: “We talked about the figure we put together from Rivers State and Benue State. They didn’t even address those at all. When you remove what they stole in Rivers and Benue states and you add to Obi’s, their own figures would have gone down and Obi won’t be in the third position again.”
Asked if the figures in Rivers and Benue states would be enough to displace either Tinubu or Atiku, he said the issue was still subjudice, adding however, that for the APC and Tinubu to come from behind to challenge the results in Kano in the last minute, while on the other hand appealing to exclude Obi from a possible rerun, left a lot to be desired.
“We can’t prejudge the tribunal. But let’s say for the sake of your question, if you remove one million from eight million, it will go down to seven million. And when you add that one million to six million, that will amount to seven million. We have a professor that did all the calculations. It’s a pity that we didn’t have the time to carry out the calculations nationwide. They know it’s damaging to them.
“If not, how come that a state like Kano that we are not even contesting with them, was brought to the tribunal to challenge that votes were stolen from them in Kano?” Onifade queried.
He explained that “their (APC) calculation is that by the time what they stole from Rivers and Benue states are deducted, their votes would have gone down and if the tribunal grants them what they claimed they lost in Kano, it might make up for what is deducted from them.
“Even those of us who are laymen, know that their lawyers are playing mind games because it’s one thing they would say in the evidence they have tendered and it’s another that their witnesses will say under oath.
“For instance, under oath, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele admitted that their man forfeited money and it’s about narcotics trafficking. He admitted that under oath. The same forfeiture they have been going about saying that it’s a civil case. Then again, the INEC witness even though he tendered a document that the uploading on IReV was not part of the mandatory process, in his testimony before the justices, changed it and said the process included uploading through the IReV.
“The court document that they tendered, they said the case was about narcotics trafficking. That’s the exact words in that document. And then the certificate issue. The one he presented to INEC was not issued by the university. That’s a forgery,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku, Shaibu, has said that there is palpable fear in the ruling APC on the likelihood of the court upturning Tinubu’s election.
Shaibu, in an exclusive interview with THISDAY at the weekend, said: “Now that pleadings have been concluded in the petition challenging the February 25 presidential election, it is easy to decipher that the declaration of the APC as winner of the election is standing on shaky grounds.”
He said further that there was a high possibility that the court would upturn the purported election of President Tinubu, and strengthen electoral processes in Nigeria.
“The uneasy calm in the camp of the APC is in apprehension about submissions and admission of some fundamental facts during the adoption of final written addresses in the two major petitions challenging the declaration of Tinubu by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as winner of the last presidential election.
“At the adoption of final addresses, Tinubu’s camp conceded to two major facts that have made his key supporters across the country jittery on what may befall them in the final decision of the tribunal.
“Among other admitted and undisputed fundamental facts at the proceedings were that Tinubu actually forfeited a sum of $460,000 through the judgment of the United States of America’s court for his established involvement in narcotics and money laundering related offences.”
Phrank added that another fact was the unchallenged admission of the INEC that Atiku won the February 25 presidential election in 21 states of the federation, the claim which ought to have made the electoral umpire to declare him as the lawful winner of the poll.
“Besides the two major facts, the qualifications of Tinubu for the poll may also take centre stage in the scrutiny of the tribunal following the admission of the President in his INEC form EC009 wherein he admitted having not attended any primary or Secondary School in Nigeria.
“This is in contrast to his claim to the same electoral body in 1998 where in his own hand writing, admitted graduating at a Primary School at Aroyaya in Lagos and at Government College Ibadan, Oyo State.
“Tinubu’s legal team at the adoption of final address led by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN conceded that the President was actually punished by an American court and was made to forfeit the $460,000 found in his bank account as proceeds of heinous crime of narcotics trafficking and money laundering.
“Similar admission was made through the APC represented by Lateef Fagbemi, SAN.
“The two legal teams, however, asked the tribunal to invoke the forgiving spirit of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution to overlook the judgment of the US court on the forfeiture on the ground that the verdict was handed to Tinubu more than 30 years ago.”
He said: “It is ridiculous that the holder of the President of Nigeria will stand before an open court and be pleading for clemency for a crime on narcotics and money laundering.
“The admission by INEC that Atiku won in 21 states of the federation which, uptil now, has not been controverted by INEC itself, is another factor giving the APC sleepless night.
“At the last opportunity to rebut the claims and denounce it, the electoral body completely slept off, fuelling the belief that the electoral umpire knows what it is doing in its entirety.”
No fewer than 500,000 bakery workers may lose their jobs as bakers are planning to shut down following increase in the cost of materials.
The Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria (AMBCN) said over 500,000 workers in the bakery industry may lose their jobs if and when they are forced to shut down their bakeries following the hike in cost of bakery materials.
The chairman of Lagos State branch of AMBCN, Chief Matthew Ayoola, who made this known, said the increase in the price of baking materials by the federal government was a direct threat to the survival of the employers and employees.
According to Ayoola, “A bag of flour rose from N28,000 to N35,000 at the moment and sugar from N37,000, to N43, 000, along with other materials rising in cost, including nylon, butter, improver, preservatives, flavour, and vegetables, and the cost of distributing the bread to the retailers.”
Appealing to the federal government to come to the aid of the sector by reducing the cost of bakery materials, Ayoola disclosed that over 50 members of the association had already shut down their factories because of the unfavourable business environment. He added that the remaining factories that had been struggling to stay in business may be forced to close shop and throw thousands of workers into the labour market.
Though the association has not increases the price of its products despite all the hikes in prices, he said: “but it is high time we let the federal government know what we’re facing as bakers in Nigeria.
“We are appealing to the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, act and seek an immediate solutions to the problem facing us because if we shut down or place more increment on the price of bread, the impact may be too hard, especially in a period like this.”
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has met with governors of states that share boundaries with the Niger Republic.
The states represented at the meeting on Sunday at the presidential villa were Sokoto, Kebbi, Yobe, Katsina, and Jigawa, though the issues discussed were not immediately known at the time of this report,
TheCable understands that the meeting was part of wider consultations by the president on the political instability in Niger.
The sit-down also coincided with the deadline from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to the Nigerien military to reinstate deposed President Mohamed Bazoum.
In a meeting last Sunday, Tinubu, chairperson of ECOWAS, said the organisation had resolved to use force, as a last option, if the coup leaders in Niger did not meet its demands within the stipulated time frame.
The Northern Senators Forum (NSF) had asked Tinubu to exhaust all diplomatic means in resolving the crisis in the West African country.
The forum warned that deploying Nigerian troops to the Niger Republic will hurt seven northern states —Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno —sharing borders with the country.
While many stakeholders have called for a diplomatic resolution to the political impasse in Niger, it is not clear what steps the regional body would take as the deadline draws to a close.
One week after announcing the ouster of Bazoum, Niger’s new military government reopened the country’s land borders and airspace to Mali, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Libya, and Chad, excluding other ECOWAS member states.
A few days later, the Nigerian government closed all its land borders with Niger and cut off electricity supply to the country.
In reaction, Niger’s military recalled its ambassadors in Nigeria, France, the United States and Togo.
Former Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola has reacted to the allegations of writing the judgment set to be delivered by the judges of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal regarding the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.
Fashola in his reaction through a statement released on Sunday by his media aide, Hakeem Bello described the allegations as baseless and defamatory.
It would be recalled that there had been allegations on social media that the former Minister and some others were drafting the judgment to be read by the tribunal judges in favour of President Bola Tinubu.
However, Fashola said the allegations being spread on social media are purely fake news and called on security agencies to take action against those responsible for spreading such information.
The former Minister added that he has been away from Abuja for a long period of time after leaving office and those behind the allegations are simply agents of destabilization.
The former Lagos State Governor also revealed that he has commenced the process of filing formal petitions against the offensive tweets and online reports with the management of the microblogging site, Twitter, and the National Communications Commission (NCC).
He added that those behind the allegations may be part of a wider campaign to undermine the judiciary for their selfish gains and therefore called on security agents not to take the matter with levity but to fish out the perpetrators.
Fashola in the statement urged members of the public to disregard the false allegations and report any individuals involved in spreading such dangerous fabrications to the relevant security agencies.
Phrank Shaibu, an aide to Atiku Abubakar, says the former vice-president withdrew a suit against President Bola Tinubu because he did not want to abuse court processes.
Tinubu claimed that he holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration from Chicago State University.
In January, Beverly Poindexter, the staff in charge of transcript requests, enrolment and degree verification, confirmed that the president attended the university between 1977 and 1979.
But Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February presidential election, alleged that Tinubu’s academic records were forged, and then file a suit against him.
However, the former vice-president withdrew the suit from a US court, which led to the case being struck out.
In a statement on Sunday, Shaibu said Abubakar is pursuing the matter at a higher court.
“Waziri Atiku Abubakar only withdrew the case before a Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois County, United States of America because he is pursuing the same matter in a higher court and he wanted to avoid an abuse of court processes,” he said.
“So, this is just the beginning. In the last one week, Nigerians have been watching the ongoing ministerial screening at the senate where nominees have been made to reveal their primary, secondary and university history.
“Some of the ministerial nominees were even classmates with the senators screening them.
“However, the man who nominated them has no educational history. He has no primary school, secondary school or university classmates. This is because he has no classmates. He actually fell from the sky.
“In recent years past presidents have invited their former classmates to Aso Rock Villa. Even President Muhammadu Buhari hosted his classmates from Katsina Middle School.
“But who did Bola Tinubu invite to the presidential villa? Governors from 1999 set. This is a man whose entire life, background and credentials remain unknown and Atiku will ensure that the man is exposed.
“It is expected that the person to hold the office of the president must be above board, especially on his life history.
“Unfortunately, here we have a president whose history is shrouded in secrecy and for whom it is as though life started in 1993.”
The one week deadline that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) handed the military coupists has elapsed.
Last week, the regional body gave the junta seven days to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and restore democratic order.
While Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani-led junta has remained defiant, ECOWAS spearheaded by Nigeria also remains silent as to what should be its next line of action.
Stakeholders have cautioned President Bola Tinubu to tread softly in the use of force against Nigeria’s neighboring Niger.
In his efforts as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Tinubu sent a high-powered delegation to broker peace with Tchiani, this week, but it was deadlock.
Also, the Senate did not approve the letter the President wrote, to seek its consent in mobilising and deploying Nigerian soldiers to Niger.
However, the position of the West is clear on Niger crisis, as the United States, France, and Germany, all backed Tinubu-chaired West African regional bloc to use force.
These European countries have not only evacuated their nationals in Niger, they also partially or completely suspended financial to the country.
As the world awaits what will be the next move of ECOWAS, the United States currently has some 1,000 soldiers stationed in the country, Germany has a continent of roughly 100 troops on the ground, according to some European media.
The situation in Niger reflects that of Mali, which also saw foreign soldiers ordered out of the country after a military coup in 2021.
Neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso — which saw a military coup in 2022 — have both pledged their support to Niger’s should ECOWAS make good on its threat of military intervention.
Meanwhile, Nigeria has the clout to fight Niger economically, as it has closed border and cut power supply, and more sanctions could be taken as days go by with all efforts to return the country to democracy.