₦airaland Forum

yarimo:
Congratulations to Bashir for successfully locating Obidients mumu bottom 🤣 🤣 kudos Mr Bashir

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the recent “authoritarian actions” of Governor Umar Bago of Niger State, describing it as an assault on press freedom.

On Friday, Governor Bago, ordered the commissioner of police to seal off Badeggi FM radio station over alleged incitement of violence.

The governor in a statement by Bologi Ibrahim, his chief press secretary, said the “daily activities of the radio station have been unethical”.

But the ADC said the development reveals a disturbing pattern of executive overreach, disdain for constitutional rights, and a steady erosion of democratic norms under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The party stated that Bago’s decision to shut down Badeggi FM “with immediate effect” is nothing short of a brazen assault on press freedom and a clear violation of the rule of law in a manner reminiscent of military dictatorship.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party is concerned about the growing dictatorial tendencies among the state governors of the ruling party, APC.

“We recall the recent public statement made by the APC Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, declaring the presidential candidate of the Labour Party and a leading member of the coalition movement persona non-grata in Edo State.

“Now this: Another APC Governor of Niger State, Muhammed Umaru Bago, has just announced a clamp down on a private radio station in the state, with “immediate effect” in a manner reminiscent of the worst form of military dictatorship.”

ADC said Bago needs to be reminded that he was elected by these same people whose truth he now finds so uncomfortable that he is willing to have their heads.

According to ADC, the cardinal principle of liberal democracy are the freedoms it guarantees, which includes freedom of speech, movement or association, “Under our constitution, no one has the power to truncate these freedoms under any pretext whatsoever. But it does appear that the APC governors who consider themselves as some kind of emperors need to be educated on this democratic principle.

“If the said radio station has behaved unethically in any way or has transgressed the limits of free speech, there are provisions in the laws for legitimate redress and there are institutions saddled with the responsibility of ensuring compliance. Under Section 2(1)(b) of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Act, the power to sanction a radio station rests solely with the NBC—not with any state governor.


“By criminalizing free speech and declaring dissent as treason, Governor Bago has demonstrated the scant regards he has for the very constitution that has sworn to uphold. For an elected governor to accuse ordinary citizens of the highest crime in the land, which is treason, and then proceed to summarily pronounce them guilty all by himself, just because they dared to broadcast information that made the governor uncomfortable is outrageous in every respect.

“The ADC warns that if this act is allowed to stand, it would set a precedent that will further imperil press freedom across the country. Today it is Badeggi FM—tomorrow it could be a newspaper, a social media platform, or a journalist asking the “wrong questions.” This is how autocracy begins: not with tanks in the streets, but with microphones being seized and studios being bulldozed.”

STATEMENT FROM THE LABOUR PARTY

Bye election: INEC omission of Labour Party unlawful, abuse of power

.... Party to Challenge INEC action, to ensure candidates names are uploaded

The leadership of the Labour Party has frowned at the omission by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC of its candidates for the August 16, 2025 bye election. The party describes the omission as unlawful, surprising and an abuse of power by the commission.

As a registered political party in Nigeria, Labour Party is very much aware of its rights as specified in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Acts 2022 as amended as regards to its powers to sponsor candidates in elections. The party is also aware that the INEC has no powers to either stop it from sponsoring candidates nor cherry pick elections where it deems fit for our party to field candidates.

It is on record that no court in Nigeria, including the Supreme Court has derecognised the present leadership of the Labour Party. It is also a fact that the April 4, 2025 judgement of the Supreme Court ruled only on the lack of the jurisdiction of the lower court and Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court did not rule on the substantive matter as courts, including the Supreme Court is bared from entertaining cases on the internal matters of any political party. The Supreme Court in its wisdom ruled that parties should resolve its problems within the available mechanism as provided by its constitutions.

At no point did the Supreme Court empowered INEC to interfere with the internal matters of the political party. INEC, being a regulatory body must limit itself to the provisions of the laws that instituted it. INEC cannot stop political parties from fielding candidates in an election, provided the political parties abided by the requirement of the Electoral Acts.

We are by this statement asking INEC to enlist our duly nominated candidates for the August 16 bye-election without further delay and also refrain from interfering with the internal matters of the Labour Party. INEC cannot arrogate to itself the powers of the courts or give different interpretation to a clear judgement of the apex court.

The actions of the INEC if not redressed immediately will be challenged. The Labour Party as a responsible organization will do everything within the law to ensure that all efforts by INEC to intimidate, harass and ridicule the Labour Party will be resisted.

Labour Party has built reputation in the last 23 years as a party for the masses and we will not succumb to the renewed onslaught by some politicians using every available means to stultify our party's progress. Labour Party is not for sale and any institution or commission making itself available to be used by politicians will have itself to be blamed.

We warn that it will be a waste of resources and precious time should INEC go ahead with the bye election without Labour Party in the ballot. It will indeed be catastrophic and a collosal loss of scarce monetary resources should INEC have its way.

We are also calling on Nigerians, particularly, Labour Party members to remain vigilant and to keep praying for the nation that some day, the electoral process in Nigeria will be gotten right and that some persons will be made to take responsibilities for their actions and inactions while in office.

We are also calling on all our candidates to remain calm as the party will do everything possible to ensure their names are uploaded for the the August 16, 2025 bye election and every other elections in the future.

SIGN

Obiora Ifoh
National Publicity Secretary
Labour Party

02/08/2025

callthefred:
But can be bought the way Obi was signed by Atiku into ADC abi? If you have any memory, Atiku is wanted in America but Obi still chose to be his running mate even with indictment by FBI on his neck. Yeyerity.

rinzaugustine:
Wike aide a Yoruba man Lere Olayinka replies….once el Rufai son read the name he will go back to sleep or continue watching his dstv



Na only base wey tinubu get now …his fellow emilokan people against the entire Nigeria

Factcheck0001:
so tinubu should sacrifice, atiku should sacrifice so your agulu packaged fraud should ride in right?

Just dey play

U think power is gotten on a platter of gold?

Don't worry, everyone will step down n presidency will b zoned to your village

WITH Nigerians still grappling with soaring prices, deep economic uncertainty, and widespread hardship, the introduction of a 5.0 per cent surcharge on locally produced and imported petrol and diesel set to take effect from January 1, 2026, under the new tax law, is not only untimely but fundamentally unjust.

Since President Bola Tinubu removed the petrol subsidy on his Inauguration Day (May 29, 2023), coupled with the subsequent devaluation of the naira, ordinary Nigerians have faced relentless inflation.

Food and transportation costs have skyrocketed, with high inflation affecting everything from medical expenses and school fees to telecom services and electricity tariffs.

For a population already stretched to its limits, any further increase in petroleum product prices is nothing short of rubbing salt into an open wound.

Since May 2023, petrol prices have risen fivefold, and the naira has lost over 60 per cent of its value against the US dollar under Tinubu’s economic reforms. As of July 31, petrol averaged N900 per litre nationwide, compared with N187/pl before Tinubu took office.

With this new levy, household budgets, already decimated by the high costs of petrol and diesel that influence everything from the price of beans to bus fares, will be crushed even further.

Therefore, it must be expunged from the tax act.

Fuel marketers, drivers, farmers, and even human rights advocates have sounded the alarm that another tax on petrol will directly lead to higher transport and commodity costs, worsening the daily hardships faced by millions.

The Federal Government’s argument that the surcharge will boost non-oil revenue and promote fiscal sustainability rings hollow, given the severe toll this policy will take on families, small businesses, and the working poor.

The Tinubu administration’s focus on revenue generation, seemingly indifferent to the struggles of ordinary people, borders on cruelty.

The government claims it has saved about $600 million monthly, and allocations to states have increased by 40 per cent annually since 2023 due to the fuel subsidy removal. So why are Nigerians being taxed further? This defeats the purpose of the tax reforms to reduce the incidence of multiple taxation.

While the government projects a N796 billion windfall from this surcharge, it comes at the expense of consumers already suffocating under high inflation, food insecurity, and rising transportation costs.

The rationale that these taxes promote fiscal sustainability is weak, especially considering that recent tax reforms were designed to broaden compliance, close revenue leaks, and expand the tax base.

As these reforms take effect, there is simply no moral or practical justification for imposing an additional direct tax on essential items like transport fuel.

For an administration that claims “renewed hope” as its central theme, this insensitive new tax is a betrayal of that promise.

As Akintade Abiodun, National Chairman of the Joint Drivers Welfare Association, aptly puts it, the government is using Nigerians as “lab rats” for unpopular economic decisions.

If the government truly wants to raise more revenue from the oil sector, it should answer persistent calls for accountability, enforce fiscal discipline, and plug systemic leakages within the NNPC.

It should focus on boosting oil production, selling the bankrupt refineries, and investing in gas gathering, processing facilities, and pipelines to enhance sector performance and profitability. The answer is not to shift the burden onto ordinary citizens under the guise of reform.

Recommendations for digital tracking, transparent pricing, and robust oversight to improve efficiency in the oil downstream sector must not be overlooked in favour of the easier path of squeezing Nigerians to the bone.

Imposing this new tax at a time when citizens are already reeling from multiple economic shocks reveals a leadership tone-deaf to the suffering of the people.

Revenue generation cannot come at the expense of social justice. Fiscal reforms should aim to uplift, not further impoverish, the very citizens the government is meant to serve.

This petrol tax should be shelved until the economy and its people have genuinely recovered. To do otherwise is not just bad policy, it is patently unfair.

Freshtruth:
🧓🏽 How old will they be in 2027?

📌 Atiku Abubakar – 81
📌 David Mark – 79
📌 Bola Tinubu – 75
📌 Ibrahim Shekarau – 72
📌 Rabiu Kwankwaso – 71
📌 Yemi Osinbajo – 70
📌 Goodluck Jonathan – 70
📌 Bala Mohammed – 69
📌 Nasir El-Rufai – 67
📌 Peter Obi – 66
📌 Bukola Saraki – 65
📌 Chibuike Amaechi – 62
📌 Seyi Makinde – 60

Seyi Makinde at 60 will be the youngest. Wow. Wild!

chiiraq802:
You don't need to explain anything.

Change is Konstant.

Softmirror:
I don taya for this noisemaker. Who else is tired lol. 😁

The All Progressives Congress Youth Parliament, North-East Zone, has warned against what it described as rumours circulating about the potential substitution of Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 general election.

Speaking during a press conference on Friday in Bauchi, the group’s chairman, Kabiru Kobi, said such a move would not only be detrimental to the party’s unity but could also jeopardise President Bola Tinubu’s chances of re-election.

Kobi noted that the speculation around Shettima’s possible replacement has created unease within the APC, potentially leading to internal strife that could undermine the party’s prospects in the next general election.

He urged party stakeholders to learn from past mistakes and avoid internal conflicts that could lead to implosion, citing the Peoples Democratic Party’s loss in 2015 as a cautionary tale.

According to him, the APC Youth Parliament fully supports the Tinubu-Shettima ticket in 2027, describing the duo as “tested and trusted.”

He said “We want to state it unequivocally clear that any attempt to reconfigure the joint ticket of His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu/Kashim Shettima in 2027 will only bring resentment that could linger beyond the elections, with negative reverberations capable of affecting the party’s success.

“It is far from hidden that the ghost of the PDP’s past actions still haunts the party today — history has little patience for those who choose to ignore its lessons.

“As APC sails through these tumultuous waters, we must ask some pertinent questions: Can the party survive the machinations of fifth columnists within, who aim to use conspiracy theories to destroy the progress made with the 2027 elections on the horizon?

“Should we ignore all the lessons of history and allow excessive ambition to cloud the reasoning of key players, ignoring the dangers ahead?”

Kobi further stated, “At this juncture, we wish to inform His Excellency, our popular and charismatic leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that the calculated attacks are not truly aimed at the Vice President but at you. What these assailants are trying to achieve by this hypocrisy is to replace Kashim Shettima with someone of a fragile political reputation.

“They know fully well that the Vice President would pacify his supporters to leave everything to God, and that would leave you to face the wrath of the Nigerian populace. This is because — in His just nature — God dislikes injustice.”

The group vowed to continue mobilising unwavering support for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket and called on all party members to rally behind the duo.

Kobi also expressed concern over rising tensions within the APC, which he warned could destabilise the party before the 2027 elections. He stressed the need for unity and collaboration among members.

He concluded by reaffirming the group’s confidence in Tinubu’s leadership and vision for the country, particularly his courage in making tough economic

bewla:
most you hate all blindly
Is the information wrong
The point he made is valid
North has the major project
Why are they labeling umahi as not doing anything for the north road
Is an igbo man so any right thinking Igbo should defend him ass there own

omenka:
So you just told us Ndigbo have charlatans as well? Who'd have known?😅

Senator Liyel Imoke and former Minister Usani Usani have declared their political alliance under the African Democratic Congress, ADC, as a serious effort to reclaim political power in Cross River State.

Speaking during a well-attended gathering of stakeholders from various political backgrounds, Imoke, now the leader of ADC in the state, said the coalition was determined to reverse what he described as a steady decline in governance at both state and national levels.

Imoke introduced Usani as the new National Vice Chairman of ADC (South-South) and also announced Jackie Wayas, daughter of the late Senate President Joe Wayas, as the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party.


He stated, “We’re in for serious business. We want to reignite the spirit and determination we had in 1998 when, despite lacking resources, we successfully took over power in the state.”

Imoke further lamented the worsening economic situation, saying, “Nigerians are hungry, not just for food but for change, for people-friendly leadership. Today, Nigeria has become the poverty and hardship capital of the world.”

He emphasised that ADC would focus on building a new generation of leaders, not recycling the older class. He also praised the party’s constitution, describing it as one of the best among political parties in Nigeria.

In his remarks, Usani said he left the All Progressives Congress, APC, due to its failure to fulfil promises.

He stressed that the newly formed coalition was based on principle and a shared vision, not personal ambition.

“Our mission is to build a new generation of purposeful, resourceful, and politically vibrant young leaders in Cross River and across the South-South,” Usani said.


At the inaugural meeting of the coalition, former Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Hon. Bassey Ewa, moved a motion for various political parties to collapse into ADC. The motion was seconded by former State Commissioner for Information, Chief Akin Ricketts.

State ADC Chairman, Dr John Ogar, welcomed the new members and assured that, with their support, party offices would be established across all 196 wards and 18 local government chapters in the state.

The coalition is scheduled to reconvene at the end of August 2025 in Calabar

AMID Nigeria’s ongoing pursuit of a better future, the Patriots, a respected group of senior citizens and thought leaders led by former Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku, have once again raised their voices at a crucial moment. With rising misery among ordinary citizens and uncertainty clouding the country’s political future, their renewed call for genuine federalism is timely and essential.

The Patriots’ intentions are clear: they seek the country’s progress. In the past 26 years, Nigeria’s foundations as a developing country have eroded, with deepening social and economic fault lines. In 2018, Nigeria overtook India as the world’s poverty capital, recording 86.7 million citizens in extreme poverty.

Terror groups headlined by Islamic groups, bandits, kidnappers, oil militants and separatist agitators create a potent brew of insecurity, pain, blood and worsening privation.

The security system is inadequate. It protects the VIPs and excludes the majority. The aberration of a single police force for a federal state is compounded by the low number of officers and the illegal deployment of two-thirds of the corps to protect VIPs.



To counter this, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, advocates for an elite police corps to protect VIPs exclusively. That thinking is shallow: security is for every taxpayer, not just the wealthy.

The insecurity remains infernal. Under Muhammadu Buhari (2015-2023), over 55,000 Nigerians died in violence. The situation has barely improved under the incumbent.

It is a bad moment. Elections divide the people more. The judiciary has hijacked the people’s mandate by imposing misfits as election winners based on spurious technicalities.

Voter apathy is a political curse: only 27 per cent voted in the 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections compared to 52.3 per cent voter turnout at the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999.

Critical public services, such as education and health, languish. No Nigerian university ranks among the top 1,000 among its global peers. This is embarrassing.

The sordid state of health reflected in the July 13 death of Buhari in a London hospital, a city he used for his treatments throughout his eight-year tenure. Umaru Yar’Adua, president from 2007 to 2010, died in a Saudi Arabian hospital in 2010. With no notable public hospital, Nigerians spent $3.6 billion annually on medical tourism under Buhari.

Central to these failings is the excessive control wielded by the federal centre over resources generated by sub-national units, manifested each month during revenue sharing. This system discourages competition, innovation, and productivity, replacing them with corruption, dependency, and a dangerous sense of entitlement.

Canvassing true federalism, the Patriots have been at the forefront of correcting these ills. There is little magic that can lift the economy without first undertaking political restructuring to a true federal state.

This became clear again at the Patriots’ July 15-17 summit in Abuja, in conjunction with the Nigerian Political Summit Group, rekindling debate over Nigeria’s future as a fragile consortium of over 250 ethnic nationalities burdened by a pseudo-federal constitution.

As usual, the group restated its recommendations – fiscal federalism or resource control, dual sovereignty, which pares the excessive powers of the central government, state and community police forces, a lean cabinet and e-transmission of election results.


Themed ‘Actualising a Constitutional Democracy That Works for All in Nigeria’, the summit advocates a ban on defection during a political cycle, single-day polls, secularism, a one-chamber parliament and Diaspora voting. These reforms could foster true federalism and entrench a sustainable democratic ethos.

Indeed, the 1999 Constitution remains unfit for purpose. Hurriedly imposed as the military dictators made their way out in 1999, it is designed for a unitary system, not federalism.

It disproportionately benefits a tiny band of the bent political class, who live in obscene luxury while the majority wallow in poverty.

The Federal Government (a single entity) appropriates 52.68 per cent of all revenues, leaving the 36 states to share just 26.72 per cent. The 774 local governments receive 20.60 per cent and 13 per cent reserved for oil derivation. That is a formula for self-centredness that stifles initiative.

The document falsely claims it is by the people. This is untrue; it was an imposition. This is the main point of the Patriots: Nigeria is not functioning because the foundation of its fundamental law is flawed. That is why every NASS since 1999 has been amending the constitution in a motion without real progress.

The 10th NASS is engaged in an amendment exercise; like the past exercises, it is a waste of time and resources and will also end in futility. This is akin to patching a worn cloth; after many patches, the cloth ends up worse and finally becomes unusable. This is the case with the 1999 Constitution.

It legislates 774 LGs in it. This is contentious primarily because federalism entails dual sovereignty – the centre and the federating units or sub-nationals.

Take Canada. It has 10 provinces and three territories. The provinces are self-governing; the three territories are under the control of the centre. Other federations like Australia, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland operate on similar lines of federalism.

The solution is simple: remove the LGs from the constitution and give states the power of control to create or merge as they wish.

Therefore, The PUNCH stands with the Patriots in advocating a new constitution, not piecemeal amendments. The lessons from elsewhere should guide the parliamentarians and the executive.

The American Constitution, written in 1787 and inaugurated in 1789, has witnessed only 27 amendments. The First Amendment, termed the Bill of Rights, occurred in 1791 with 10 new pieces of legislation. The 27th (last) amendment occurred in 1992.

Incidentally, the Patriots restated the ideals of true federalism before President Bola Tinubu in August 2024. His response was non-committal: Tinubu said his focus is on the economy. He misses the point.

Like his predecessors, Tinubu resists restructuring in office but could revert to supporting reforms once out.

Olusegun Obasanjo (1999-2007) vacillates between opinions, recently asserting that the constitution is not the problem but the operators. This ignores the economic distress and violence ravaging the land.


Tinubu has engineered his version of restructuring, instigating the Supreme Court to grant financial autonomy to the local governments, which still begs the issues.

After the July 12 LG polls in Lagos, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu banned the elected officials from appointing their secretaries! Where is the autonomy?

First, the basis is still sharing, which is wrong. In true federalism, there is no sharing. In the United States, the states control the LGs and create them as they deem fit.

In the 1963 Republican Constitution, the regions controlled the councils. There was no sharing then: the regions retained 50 per cent of their incomes, sent 30 per cent to the distributable pool and 20 per cent to the centre.

This arrangement, upturned by the military after it hijacked power in January 1966, is what the Patriots seek to restore.

Tinubu should be true to himself. He fought a running battle with Obasanjo as the governor of Lagos State when he created 37 local development area councils, but has now seized the LG allocations of Osun State.

Unfortunately, time runs out for the 10th parliament and Tinubu. They have less than two years to complete their tenure. By 2026, the focus will be on the 2027 election, leaving little time for restructuring.

Tinubu should set up a constituent assembly to decide a new federal constitution for Nigeria, as advocated by the Patriots. It will then be voted on in a referendum.

This is the best way out of Nigeria’s political conundrum.

helinues:
Is Ohaneze not in their name? Why be say almost all your cultural groups have factional

helinues:
Ohaneze is never here nor there. Stop fighting other people's fight

Hahahaha