The deputy spokesman for the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has said that some state governors are threatening to deny federal lawmakers return tickets in 2027 if they don’t withdraw their support for President Bola Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bills.

Recall that in September the President had submitted four tax reform bills to the National Assembly for consideration, following the recommendations of the Oyedele-led tax reforms committee.

The bills include the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, which is expected to provide the fiscal framework for taxation in the country, and the Tax Administration Bill, which will provide a clear and concise legal framework for all taxes in the country and reduce disputes.

Others are the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, which will repeal the Federal Inland Revenue Service Act and establish the Nigeria Revenue Service, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, which will create a tax tribunal and a tax ombudsman.

The 36 state governors have, however, demanded the withdrawal of the executive bills, citing the need for more consultation and public input.

Agbese, while speaking in an interview with Punch, disclosed that the lawmakers will today (Monday) engage the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, and other renowned tax experts on the bills.

Speaking further, he said that some governors are holding meetings ahead of the National Assembly resumption to consider the tax bills and other important legislations.

According to him, “Some of these governors are threatening members from their states. They have even gone far to threaten that they would deny members return tickets in 2027 if they support the bills.”

The threats notwithstanding, the Benue lawmaker said nothing would make him and his colleagues change course, provided the bills are targeted at revamping the economy.

He continued, “As far as we are concerned in the House of Representatives, nobody can stop us from supporting President Bola Tinubu’s bid to reboot the economy to work for the country.

“We are united across party lines to make sure the country works. This is the disposition of Speaker, Tajudeen Abass.”

While noting that lawmakers in the past could indeed be cajoled to give up their principles, the legislator reminded the governors that the 10th Assembly congressmen are a different breed of Nigerians.

He said, “The difference between the new crop of politicians in the House of Representatives is that we are intellectually sound, progressive-minded and pro-Nigeria.

“We were not elected by the governors but our constituents and as far as the legislation (bills) will work for those that elected us, we will support them unequivocally, wholeheartedly and powerfully to see the light of the day.”

The Presidency has maintained silence in response to criticisms of President Bola Tinubu’s reforms by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Obasanjo, speaking at the Chinua Achebe Leadership Forum at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States, described Nigeria as being under “state capture” and in a dire situation.

The remarks were relayed in a statement by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi.

“The country’s situation is bad,” Obasanjo reportedly said, adding that reforms have failed to deliver meaningful relief to Nigerians.

Similarly, the IMF, in its latest economic outlook report for sub-Saharan Africa, highlighted Nigeria as one of the Resource-Intensive Countries (RICs) struggling to realize the benefits of its reforms.

“While some countries in the region are experiencing positive outcomes, it is not looking good yet in Nigeria,” the IMF noted, raising concerns about the pace and impact of Tinubu’s economic adjustments.

The presidency has yet to issue a formal statement addressing these criticisms. However, a source at the State House told Daily Trust on condition of anonymity that Obasanjo is a statesman and that the Presidency “will not want to join issues with him.”

What Obasanjo said

Obasanjo, in his address titled “Leadership Failure and State Capture in Nigeria”, described Nigeria’s situation as bad.

The former leader also alleged that Nigeria’s failing status under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was “confirmed and glaringly indicated and manifested for every honest person to see.”

He alluded to a World Bank and Transparency International’s definition of what a state capture was, saying it was described, “as one of the most pervasive forms of corruption,“a situation where powerful individuals, institutions, companies, or groups within or outside a country use corruption to shape a nation’s policies, legal environment, and economy, to benefit their own private interests.”

He noted that state capture is not always overt and obvious as it can also arise from the more subtle close alignment of interests between specific business and political elites through family ties, friendships, and the intertwined ownership of economic assets.

He said: “What is happening in Nigeria – right before our eyes – is state capture: The purchase of national assets by political elites – and their family members – at bargain prices, the allocation of national resources – minerals, land, and even human resources – to local, regional, and international actors. It must be prohibited and prevented through local and international laws.

“Public institutions such as the legislature, the executive, the judiciary, and regulatory agencies both at the federal and local levels are subject to capture. As such, state capture can broadly be understood as the disproportionate and unregulated influence of interest groups or decision-making processes, where special interest groups manage to bend state laws, policies, and regulations.

“They do so through practices such as illicit contributions paid by private interests to political parties, and for election campaigns, vote-buying, buying of presidential decrees or court decisions, as well as through illegitimate lobbying and revolving door appointments.

“The main risk of state capture is that decisions no longer take into consideration the public interest, but instead favour a specific special interest group or individual. Laws, policies, and regulations are designed to benefit a specific interest group, often times to the detriment of smaller firms and groups and society in general.

“State capture can seriously affect economic development, regulatory quality, the provision of public services, quality of education and health services, infrastructure decisions, and even the environment and public health.”

Obasanjo also alleged that Nigeria’s failing status under President Tinubu was “confirmed and glaringly indicated and manifested for every honest person to see.”

He was quoted to have stated, “As the world can see and understand, Nigeria’s situation is bad.

“The more the immorality and corruption of a nation, the more the nation sinks into chaos, insecurity, conflict, discord, division, disunity, depression, youth restiveness, confusion, violence and underdevelopment.

“That’s the situation mostly in Nigeria in the reign of Baba-go-slow and Emilokan. The failing state status of Nigeria is confirmed and glaringly indicated and manifested for every honest person to see through the consequences of the level of our pervasive corruption, mediocrity, immorality, misconduct, mismanagement, perversion, injustice, incompetence and all other forms of iniquity. But yes, there is hope.”

Obasanjo while copying from a short, classic treatise published in 1983, called ‘The Trouble with Nigeria’ by Chinua Achebe admitted that, “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian character. There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian land or climate or water or air or anything else. The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the challenge of personal example which are the hallmarks of true leadership.

“In hindsight, this forty-one-year-old prescriptive analysis on the root causes of Nigeria’s leadership crisis is quite moderate and appropriate. It is at least not as desolate as the diagnosis provided by Robert Rotberg and John Campbell, two prominent US intellectuals – the latter a former United States ambassador to Nigeria to boot: ‘Nigeria has long teetered on the precipice of failure,’ they argue.

“Unable to keep its citizens safe and secure, Nigeria has become a fully failed state of critical geopolitical concern. Its failure matters because the peace and prosperity of Africa and preventing the spread of disorder and militancy around the globe depend on a stronger Nigeria.”

Nigeria’s reforms not looking good – IMF

Presenting the IMF’s report at the Lagos Business School on Friday, IMF Deputy Director, Catherine Patillo, said the economic growth is expected to remain stagnant in Nigeria this year.

The report urged Nigeria to close the gender gap in a bid to improve its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), saying that could grow the GDP by 30 per cent.

The report said: “Resource-intensive countries (RICs) continue to grow at about half the rate of the rest of the region, with oil exporters struggling the most.

“Second, both domestic and external financing conditions remain tight. Third, the region has recently witnessed several episodes of political fragility and social unrest. Political and social pressures are making it increasingly challenging to implement policy adjustments and reforms.”

The IMF projected “significant increases” in Ghana, Botswana, Senegal and others, but said Nigeria was confronted with “adjustment fatigue” citing the double-digit inflation which is not backing down anytime soon.

“Inflation is still in double digits in almost one-third of countries, including Angola, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, and above target in almost half of the region, particularly where monetary policy is not anchored by exchange rate pegs.

“Significant increases are anticipated in Ghana, as it continues reestablishing macroeconomic stability; Botswana and Senegal, reflecting rising resource exports (diamonds, oil, and gas); and Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, as they recover from drought. Growth is also expected to improve in South Africa, given positive post-election sentiment and a reduction in power outages,” the report said.

It added, “In the face of popular frustration, there is also an opportunity to work to mobilize support for large, deep reforms, of the sort that, for instance, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria are pursuing.

“Realizing this opportunity requires rethinking reform strategies, to build and maintain pro-growth coalitions among constituent leaders and the general public. This will require greater attention to communication and engagement strategies, reform design, compensatory measures and rebuilding trust in public institutions.”

The report said the average economic growth rate in the region would remain at 3.6 per cent for the full year 2024, but Nigeria’s growth rate, put at 3.19 per cent, was below the average.

The IMF report also touched on the rising debt burden, saying debt service capacity is generally low.

“In almost one-quarter of countries, interest payments exceed 20 per cent of revenues, a threshold statistically associated with a high probability of fiscal stress. And rising debt service burdens are already having a significant impact on the resources available for development spending.

“The median ratio of interest payments to revenues (excluding grants) currently stands at 12 per cent. Some three-quarters have already witnessed an increase in interest payments (relative to revenue) since the early 2010s (comparing the 2010–14 average with the 2019–24 average). In Angola, Ghana, Nigeria, and Zambia, this increase in interest payments alone absorbed a massive 15 per cent of total revenue,” the report stated.

The reinstated Labour Party governorship candidate in Ondo State, Ayodele Olorunfemi, has bemoaned his failure to win Saturday’s election, blaming former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, and the Nigeria Labour Congress for his predicament.

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the ruling All Progressives Congress was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission after sweeping the 18 local government areas in Ondo.

In the final declaration of the result by the State Returning Officer, Prof Olayemi Akinwumi, he said APC’s Ayedatiwa polled a total of 366,781 votes to defeat Agboola Ajayi of the PDP, who got 117,845 votes.

The Returning Officer said, “That Ayedatiwa Lucky Orimisan of APC, having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby returned elected.”

Olorunfemi’s loss comes a few days after INEC returned his name on the ballot as LP flag bearer for the November 16 poll, following a ruling by the Court of Appeal.

Following weeks of suspense, Olorunfemi heaved a sigh of relief when the Court of Appeal in Abuja vacated an earlier judgment by the Federal High Court ordering the electoral umpire to recognise Obi’s anointed candidate, Olusola Ebiseni.

Reacting in an interview with The PUNCH, Olorunfemi vowed not to forgive the former LP presidential candidate and the NLC for the role they played in scuttling his Ondo governorship campaign.

When asked if he succeeded in having a last-minute door-to-door campaign with his supporters after winning his appeal, a saddened LP flag bearer confessed that his campaign for the election was neither here nor there.

He said, “I have Peter Obi and the NLC to thank for that. They have scuttled my aspirations and chances to win this Ondo election. These people spoilt things for us with that PDP reject they wanted to force on the party. Their insistence on having Ebiseni on the ballot ruined everything for me.

“They just capitalised on the crisis between the Labour Party and the Nigeria Labour Congress to create problems. Can you imagine that Ebiseni wrote a letter to the court in my name without my knowledge, saying I have withdrawn from the race? They cannot exclude me from such a position.”

While accepting that he knew his chances at the poll were slim after his reinstatement a few days to the poll, Olorunfemi vowed to get his pound of flesh.

The LP deputy chairman for South also threatened to petition police authorities to investigate how his name and signature were forged by Ebiseni and the NLC.

“Thank God we got an appeal judgment and my name is back in the INEC portal. The good thing here is that the truth has prevailed. Withdrawal must be voluntary. You cannot force someone to withdraw. What they have done was an attempt to force me behind my back.

“Again, it wasn’t the party that submitted it. It was the handiwork of the former President of the NLC and head of the National Transition Committee, Abduwaheed Omar. What they did is criminal.

“In fact, I am planning to petition the Inspector General of Police to probe how they wrote that letter, put my signature and presented it before the court. We will deal with that later. For now, we are still doing our underground work and doing our best for this election,” he stated.

When called to defend the allegation levelled against the workers’ union, acting Chairman of the NLC Political Commission, Prof Theophilus Ndubuaku, described Olorunfemi as a ‘very funny character.’

“He is one human being you should never take seriously. As a result of this crisis between us and Abure, Olorunfemi became the deputy to Abure and he was given the ticket. Before this election, he was a placeholder. So what did he do? He now started shopping for who would buy the ticket from him.

“In the process, they asked Ebiseni to pay N20m to get the ticket. He paid and even added another N5m which they claimed was for expenses. When they refused to give him the ticket, Ebiseni went to court. In retaliation, the Abure’s camp started working to ensure INEC didn’t upload his name because of the Kagaroo judgment they went to secure.

“The only challenge we have was that before the judgment, INEC had already given the code for uploading the names of agents to Olorunfemi. We know he would have uploaded the names of suspected APC agents there. We know he is obviously working indirectly for the APC.”

As of the time of filing this story, efforts to reach both Obi and Ebiseni for reactions were unsuccessful.

Organised Labour has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reverse policies on the floating of the national currency and rising energy costs, citing the need to reduce the economic hardship faced by Nigerians and businesses.

Naija News reports that the appeal was made in Ibadan, Oyo State, during the 6th Quadrennial and 13th National Delegates Conference of the National Union of Shop and Distributive Employees (NUSDE).

Speaking at the event, NUSDE President, Aminu Megbontowon, highlighted the significant challenges posed by the current economic policies.

“Nigerian workers and businesses are experiencing tough times due to some of the policies implemented by this government. The high cost of energy has severely impacted production, services, and workers’ welfare,” he stated.

Megbontowon criticized the soaring prices of petroleum products, which now exceed N1,000 per liter, and the increased electricity tariffs, which have risen from N68 to N227.

He emphasized that these costs are unsustainable for an oil-producing nation like Nigeria, especially when the purchasing power of its citizens remains alarmingly low.

He warned that the rising costs of production and living are driving many Nigerians into poverty, resulting in widespread job losses and the collapse of numerous businesses.

“Many factories are unable to sell their products, leading to redundancies and closures. This has a direct impact on our membership as workers lose their jobs daily,” he added.

The NUSDE President called for urgent government intervention, including the reversal of deregulation policies and the reduction of energy costs.

He also urged the President to end the devaluation and floating of the Naira, which has made imported goods and raw materials unaffordable.

“Nigeria’s economy needs cheaper energy, single-digit interest rates, and basic infrastructure to support production and services industries. The government must also embark on an ambitious industrialization plan to grow the economy,” he said.

Other demands include drastic cuts in electricity and petroleum product prices, affordable lending rates, and massive investments in infrastructure such as roads, refineries, schools, and hospitals to boost economic productivity and improve the quality of life for Nigerians.

Organised Labour has warned that failure to address these pressing issues could lead to further economic deterioration and increased hardship across the nation.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says Nigeria must appoint new, credible leaders for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with short tenure to prevent corruption and re-establish trust.

Obasanjo spoke during the Chinua Achebe leadership forum held at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA.

In his keynote address at the forum titled ‘Leadership failure and state capture in Nigeria,’ Obasanjo described the 2023 general elections as a “travesty”.

The former president said reforming the electoral system is a key issue for the country, adding that INEC officials need thorough vetting to prevent partisan appointments.

“As a matter of urgency, we must make sure the INEC chairperson and his or her staff are thoroughly vetted,” Obasanjo said.

“The vetting exercise should yield dispassionate, non-partisan actors with impeccable reputations.

“Nigeria must ensure the appointment of new credible INEC leadership at the federal, state, local government, and municipal—city, town, and village levels—with short tenures—to prevent undesirable political influence and corruption and re-establish trust in the electoral systems by its citizens.

“The INEC chairperson must not only be absolutely above board, but he must also be transparently independent and incorruptible.”

Obasanjo said Nigeria must prevent electoral interference at every level, protecting elections from foreign and local malevolent actors to safeguard democratic integrity.

He added that there should be an implementation of clearly defined financial regulations for political campaigns to ensure transparency and accountability.

“On the local level, we should implement and enforce clearly defined financial regulations for political campaigns and establish effective control and enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance with financial regulations,” the former president advocated.

“And intensify activities to prepare and secure the voting infrastructure, such as safeguarding the technology used to collate, transmit, verify, and disseminate election results.”

Obasanjo alleged that INEC intentionally failed to utilise the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) and election viewing portal (IReV) technologies during the 2023 presidential election.

“The BVAS and IReV are two technological innovations that, prior to 2023, were celebrated for their potential to enhance the accuracy and transparency of our election results, eliminate the threat of election rigging, and boost public trust in electoral outcomes,” he said.

“These technologies were touted by the INEC chairman himself. In the end, these technologies did not fail.

“INEC willfully failed to use or implement them, which resulted in widespread voting irregularities. It was a case of inviting the fox into the henhouse”

Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Ondo state governor-elect, says he wishes Rotimi Akeredolu, his late principal, was alive to witness his victory.

Aiyedatiwa, the incumbent governor of Ondo, secured victory in all 18 LGAs, garnering 366,781 votes to defeat his closest rival, Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 117,845 votes.

Aiyedatiwa took over the leadership of the state after Akeredolu died from protracted prostate cancer in 2023.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television after his victory, Aiyedatiwa said Akeredolu wanted him as his successor.

“How I wish he was present in that banquet hall when I was declared in the company of other brother governors. That would have been really good, but God knows better,” he said.

“It is so sad and painful that he didn’t live to see the manifestation of what he himself spoke about. I do refer to him sometimes as the man who saw tomorrow.

“He knew that I was going to succeed him as governor. He knew because he wanted me to and was ready to give me the full backing.”

Governor Umar Namadi’s government of Jigawa State has introduced a new digital tax payment system to enhance revenue collection and address the issue of multiple taxation.

Dr Nasiru Sabo Idris, the Chairman of the Jigawa State Internal Revenue Service (JIRS), announced the launch of the Jigawa Integrated Tax Administration System (JIGTAS), which is intended to modernize the processes of revenue mobilization and payment throughout the state.

During a recent event in Dutse, Idris highlighted that a workshop was conducted for accountants and revenue mobilizers from various ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to improve their skills in effectively utilizing the new system.

The JIGTAS system is specifically designed to facilitate the collection and remittance of internally generated revenue (IGR) across MDAs.

In a related development, the Akwa Ibom State Government has announced plans to fully digitize all tax collection processes starting in the 2025 fiscal year.

The Executive Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Revenue Board, Okon Okon, disclosed this during a media briefing in Uyo on Sunday.

He explained that the implementation of electronic assessment, e-tax clearance processes, e-filing of tax returns, and the automation of registration and reporting processes is expected to significantly enhance revenue generation in the state once the digitalization initiatives are put into action.

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has hailed the re-election of Ondo State Governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, in the November 16, 2024, gubernatorial election as a resounding vote of confidence in the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Governor Aiyedatiwa, who contested under the APC banner, was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after the collation of results concluded on Sunday.

In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, Governor Oyebanji described the victory as an endorsement of good governance under the APC’s administration in Ondo State and highlighted the people’s trust in the party’s leadership. He praised the electorate for supporting the APC since it came to power in Ondo in 2016, attributing the success to verifiable governance achievements.

“This triumph places a renewed responsibility on Governor Aiyedatiwa to intensify efforts in delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Ondo State, who have shown unwavering support,” Oyebanji noted.

The Ekiti governor also emphasized that the victory reflected Nigerians’ faith in President Tinubu’s socioeconomic policies, expressing optimism that the administration’s programs would lead to lasting development and economic prosperity.

He commended APC’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje; the Progressive Governors’ Forum; the APC National Campaign Council; and other stakeholders for their contributions to the electoral success.

Oyebanji lauded Ondo residents for their peaceful conduct during the election and praised INEC for improvements in election administration, especially the prompt release of results. He also recognized the professionalism of security agencies in ensuring a smooth electoral process.

He urged Governor Aiyedatiwa to remain magnanimous in victory by reaching out to his opponents for inclusive governance. Oyebanji specifically thanked Ekiti indigenes in Ondo for supporting Aiyedatiwa and expressed confidence that they would benefit from the governor’s leadership.

“On behalf of the Government and people of Ekiti State, I congratulate my dear brother, Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa, on this well-deserved victory. We look forward to a stronger partnership between our states for mutual benefit,” he said.

Oyebanji also extended congratulations to President Tinubu for his leadership and efforts in improving the electoral process, as well as to the APC and the people of Ondo for choosing continuity under the party’s governance.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has congratulated Lucky Aiyedatiwa for winning the Ondo governorship election, commending the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, and others who played critical roles in the successful conduct of the election. 

Aiyedatiwa, the incumbent governor of the state, was declared as the winner of the election around 2:30 pm on Sunday, defeating his closest rival Ajayi Agboola who flew the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s flag in the poll.

Minutes after the declaration, the APC said the victory was a testament that Aiyedatiwa’s policies were in alignment with the people’s wishes.

“The All Progressives Congress (APC) heartily congratulates the Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, on his re-election,” APC spokesman Felix Morka said in a Sunday statement.

“Your Excellency’s resounding victory in the just-concluded Ondo state gubernatorial election is a clear attestation that your administration’s policies and programmes, and campaign message of hope and consolidation have resonated deeply with the electorate.

“With this renewed mandate, we are confident that you will build upon your accomplishments, and take the state to even greater heights of social and economic development for the benefit of the good people of Ondo state.”

The APC also thanked INEC and other stakeholders for their “professionalism and patriotism” in the conduct of the poll.

“We commend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies for their professionalism and patriotism in the discharge of their constitutional roles during the election,” Morka said.

“We thank the Ondo electorate for their sustained and highly valued support of our great Party.”

The Federal High Court in Lagos has ruled that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) must refrain from using the NBC Act and Nigeria Broadcasting Code to impose fines, threaten sanctions, or intimidate broadcast stations and independent media outlets across the country.

Delivering judgment, Justice Nicholas Oweibo declared that the NBC lacks the legal authority to unilaterally impose penalties, including fines, license suspensions, or any form of punishment on media organizations for disseminating diverse information on public-interest issues.

The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).

The certified true copy of the judgment, dated June 13, 2024, was obtained last week.

The case was initiated after the NBC fined Trust TV, Multichoice Nigeria Limited, NTA-Startimes Limited, and TelcCom Satellite Limited N5 million each in 2022 for airing documentaries on terrorism.

The NBC alleged that the programs glorified banditry, undermined national security, and violated the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.

Justice Oweibo addressed the objections raised by the NBC, affirming that SERAP and CJID had the legal standing (locus standi) to file the lawsuit.

He cited the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules of 2009, which prioritize public interest litigation and eliminate strict requirements for locus standi.

In his judgment, Justice Oweibo held that, “The issue of the locus standi of SERAP and CJID need to be resolved first being a threshold issue. It is trite that the Statement of Claim must disclose the Plaintiff’s interest sufficient to clothe him/her with the requisite capacity to sue.”

Justice Oweibo also stated that, “SERAP and CJID have been vested with locus standi. Looking at the provisions of the Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009 and particularly the preambles to the Rules, the general requirement of locus standi has been done away with. SERAP and CJID are not meddlesome interlopers.

“I have looked at the affidavit in support of the suit, which in this case stands in place of a Statement of Claim. Considering the core mandates of SERAP and CJID and the affidavit in support of their suit, it is to be seen that this is a public interest case.”

The court ruled that NBC’s actions breached the constitutional rights to freedom of expression, access to information, media freedom, and fair hearing as enshrined in sections 22, 36, and 39 of the Nigerian Constitution (as amended).

SERAP deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare said, “We urge the NBC to demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law by immediately obeying and respecting the judgment of the Court.

“We also urge President Bola Tinubu to direct the Ministry of Information and Culture, the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and the NBC to immediately disclose the details of the Twitter agreement, as ordered by the court.

“The immediate enforcement and implementation of the judgment will be a victory for the rule of law, freedom of expression and media freedom in Nigeria.”