Senate President Godswill Akpabio has criticized Nigerians for demanding better infrastructure while resisting taxation, which funds these developments.

Speaking at a two-day public hearing on the Tax Reform Bills on Monday, he highlighted the contradiction in expecting high-quality public services without contributing to the tax system.

Akpabio pointed out that while the government is committed to improving lives, it cannot function effectively without sufficient revenue.

He explained that tax evasion is widespread across different sectors of the economy, from informal traders to high-earning professionals.

“Tax evasion is not new in Nigeria. From traders in bustling markets to high-earning professionals, many go to great lengths to avoid paying taxes,” he said.

He emphasized that the informal economy, which accounts for a significant portion of Nigeria’s GDP, largely operates outside the tax system.

“Even within the formal sector, businesses often underreport earnings to minimize their tax liabilities.”

“At the same time, Nigerians have high expectations of the government, demanding better infrastructure and services.”

“They demand better roads to ease transportation and reduce accidents, 24-hour electricity to support businesses and households, functional hospitals to reduce medical tourism and save lives, and quality education to prepare the next generation. All of these require funding, and taxation is the most sustainable way to provide it,” he stated.

Akpabio acknowledged the frustration many feel over Nigeria’s complicated tax system, where businesses face multiple levies at the federal, state, and local levels.

He warned that excessive taxation without clarity could discourage investment and economic growth.

“If we are not careful, our system may discourage investment and economic activity,” he cautioned.

The Senate President also addressed concerns about the fair distribution of tax revenue, using breweries in Ogun State as an example.

He noted that while production takes place in Ogun, most taxes are paid in Lagos, where company headquarters are located.

“This imbalance must be addressed,” he insisted, advocating for a tax system that ensures fairness for all states.

He urged Nigerians to view taxation as a civic duty that supports national development rather than a burden.

“There is no country in the world that develops without an effective tax system,” he emphasized.

Akpabio outlined key aspects of the Tax Reform Bills under discussion, including tax harmonization to reduce duplication, lowering the cost of tax collection to maximize development spending, and introducing digital tax systems for improved transparency and accountability.

As the hearing continues, stakeholders from various sectors are expected to contribute ideas to create a tax system that is fair, transparent, and growth-oriented.

The central question, however, remains: Can Nigerians demand good governance while resisting taxation? According to Akpabio, national development is a shared responsibility, requiring both government accountability and citizen participation in funding the system.

Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, representing Rano, Kibiya and Bunkure Federal Constituency of Kano state has dismissed his suspension from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano, calling it baseless and a violation of a court ruling.

Reacting to the announcement by Kano NNPP Chairman, Hashim Sulaiman Dungurawa, Rurum insisted that he and his colleagues have never been aligned with the faction that altered the party’s logo, making it clear that they belong to a different NNPP faction.

DAILY GAZETTE reported that Rurum and Madakin Gini had previously distanced themselves from the Kwankwasiyya movement, aligning instead with the NNPP faction that retains the fruit and basket logo.

“The world knows that since they changed the party’s logo, we have not been with them. We are in the NNPP with the fruit and basket logo, while they are with the book logo. We also have a court judgment that dismissed their claims,” he said.

He accused the Kano NNPP leadership of disregarding legal rulings, stating:

“What they did is a contempt of court. They are not legitimate party leaders. After our victory, they took us to an Abia High Court, and even this week, we were in court again. They are deceiving Nigerians.”

Rurum also suggested that the suspension was linked to the recent wedding of Senator Kawu Sumaila’s daughter, which he noted was attended by several prominent figures.

“The real issue disturbing them, which shouldn’t even be politicized, is the wedding of Senator Kawu Sumaila’s daughter. Honourable Nigerians were in attendance, and all of them, including Kwankwaso, were invited, but they refused to show up.”

Dismissing the suspension as inconsequential, Rurum asserted that his faction operates separately.

“Everybody in this country knows we are on two different lanes. They have only suspended themselves because we are not with them,” he declared.

The controversy over local government administration in Osun State has intensified as Governor Ademola Adeleke has ordered the newly sworn-in chairmen and councillors to stay away from their offices, despite their inauguration on Sunday.

This directive follows an instruction from the All Progressives Congress (APC), which urged its reinstated chairmen and councillors to resume work at the council offices on Monday, further escalating the dispute.

The swearing-in ceremony, held in Osogbo, was attended by Governors Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, who expressed solidarity with Adeleke amid the ongoing local government crisis.

Governor Makinde cautioned against political violence in Osun and the southwest, urging President Bola Tinubu not to use federal influence to interfere in the situation.

During the ceremony, Governor Adeleke defended the legitimacy of the election, asserting that due process was followed.

“We are aware of the legal controversies surrounding the election. However, we are confident that we are on the side of the law, within the framework of the constitution and rule of law,” he said.

The governor also advised the newly elected officials to avoid confrontation and allow the legal process to take its course.

“Please stay away from the council secretariats to prevent any clashes, as the police have aided those forcefully occupying these offices. We will rely on the judiciary to ensure their peaceful removal. Be patient and abide by the rule of law,” Adeleke stated.

A suit has been filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to declare the Delta North Senatorial seat vacant following Senator Ned Nwoko’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The case was brought forward by a constituent and PDP member, Marvis Ossai, who is asking the court to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a bye-election within 60 days of judgment.

Senator Nwoko, INEC, PDP, and the Senate have been listed as defendants in the legal action.

The plaintiff, in his submission to the court, requested several reliefs, including:

“An order of this Honourable Court, directing the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC– the 2nd Defendant – to conduct a bye-election into the Delta North Senatorial District of the Nigerian Senate within sixty (60) days from the date of the delivery of Judgement herein.”

“An order of this Honourable Court declaring vacant the seat of Ned Munir Nwoko and cancelling his Certificate of Return issued to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission.”

“An order of this Honourable Court mandating the 1st Defendant, Nwoko, to refund into the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation, forthwith, all the salaries, emoluments and allowances received by him since January 2025 until the date of the final judgement in this matter.”

“An order disqualifying the 1st Defendant from standing election into any elective post under the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria until and unless he complies with every term of the judgement in this suit.”

“An order mandating the 4th Defendant (Senate) to immediately give effect to the judgement of this Honourable Court.”

According to a five-paragraph affidavit deposed to by one Ibrahim Isa, the plaintiff informed the court that Senator Nwoko resigned from the PDP on January 30, despite being elected on the party’s platform to serve until 2027.

The plaintiff, a resident of Oshimili North Local Government Area in Delta North, argued that Nwoko’s continued tenure in the Senate after defecting violated constitutional provisions.

“That since when the 1st Defendant decamped from the PDP up to the present moment of initiating the instant suit, there is never any division in the National Leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).”

“That the ideology of the 1st Defendant’s new party, All Progressives Congress (APC), to which the 1st Defendant now fully subscribes, does not bear any similarity or represent the political philosophy of the People’s Democratic Party [which is the basis upon which the Plaintiff resolved to cast his vote for and elected the Defendant in 2023.”

“That the conduct of the Defendant in defecting from the People’s Democratic Party to All Progressives Congress has dealt a major blow to the fortunes of the Plaintiff’s Party, the People’s Democratic Party.”

“That the conduct of the 1st Defendant being challenged herein if not condemned and upturned by this Honourable Court will continue to encourage political harlotry, legislative rascality and destroys the reasons for the laws made to regulate the defection of National Assembly Members by the Constitution of Nigeria itself.”

“That the continuous stay of the 1st Defendant at the Federal Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does no longer represent the Plaintiff’s interest or that of thousands of other members of our constituency who voted him in on the basis of our faith in our Party’s manifesto which they believed the 1st Defendant was capable of representing in the Federal Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

“That the Defendant is now representing adverse interests of the people who fought the Plaintiff’s party tooth and nail [in the year 2023] to forestall the emergence of the 1st Defendant as the Member Representing DELTA NORTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT Federal Constituency on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP).”

“That time is of the greatest essence in the instant application. It will be in the interest of justice for this Honourable Court to grant the prayers contained on the face of this Originating Summons.”

As at the time of filing this report, the case has not been assigned to a judge for hearing.

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has indefinitely suspended Senator Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila, representing Kano South, along with three members of the House of Representatives from Kano State, over alleged anti-party activities.

The affected lawmakers include Abdullahi Sani Rogo (Rogo Federal Constituency), Alhaji Abdullahi Rurum (Rano/Kibiya Federal Constituency), and Ali Maadakin Gini (Dala Federal Constituency).

Announcing the suspension at a press briefing on Monday, NNPP Chairman in Kano, Hashimu Dungurawa, stated that the decision was taken due to the lawmakers’ alleged gross misconduct.

Dungurawa criticized the suspended members, noting that they had been given opportunities within the party after leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC), yet allegedly engaged in actions detrimental to the NNPP’s interests.

He emphasized that the party would not tolerate disloyalty, adding that necessary disciplinary measures had to be enforced to uphold party discipline.

The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will serve two terms as Nigeria’s leader, stating that he must be re-elected in the 2027 general elections by the “power of God.”

Speaking on Sunday at a stakeholders meeting on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Phase 1 at the Eko Hotel in Lagos, Umahi praised Tinubu’s leadership, particularly his commitment to long-term infrastructure projects.

“A man that has the courage to do what was dreamt 45 years back is the only man that will have the courage to finish it,” he said.

“I say we must vote for him in 2027. The President must be re-elected by the power of God. Those in support say ‘hi.’”

Umahi emphasized that Tinubu has been fair to the South-East since assuming office in 2023 and assured that the region would support his re-election bid.

He highlighted several federal projects in the South-East as proof of the administration’s commitment to national development.

“We have no reason to stop the work but we have every reason to do the right thing, and it is not peculiar to that job, that is what we are doing in all the projects,” he noted.

“We also have some jobs – Enugu to Abakaliki, we have Afikpo-Abia-Okigwe and of course one of the legacy projects of Mr President and so we are not sabotaging the President.”

The former Ebonyi State governor further stated that the South-East would rally behind Tinubu and ensure his re-election with overwhelming support.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is going to have 99 per cent of the votes of the South-East because he has been very nice to the people of the South-East. They will leave South-West to give us 99.99% (in) 2027,” he added.

Fifteen states in Nigeria, including Abia, Rivers, Zamfara, and Kano, failed to elect any female representatives in their state assemblies during the 2023 general election, raising fresh concerns about gender inclusion in governance.

This was revealed by social inclusion and governance expert, Olumide Olaniyan on Monday in Abuja during a technical session on the Seat Reservation for Women Bill and the public presentation of the National Women Leaders Forum’s operational guidelines.

The event, organized by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy in collaboration with the National Women Leaders Forum of Political Parties in Nigeria, highlighted the continued underrepresentation of women in Nigerian politics.

Olaniyan noted that the affected states cut across all six geopolitical zones, listing others such as Osun, Imo, Yobe, Bauchi, Niger, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kebbi, Katsina, and Sokoto.

He lamented that despite women making up 49 percent of Nigeria’s population, the country ranks 180th out of 192 nations in women’s parliamentary representation.

Meanwhile, Nigerian women are planning to storm the National Assembly to demand explanations from Senate President Godswill Akpabio over the alleged harassment of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central.

Speaking at the event, former ActionAid Nigeria country director Ene Obi condemned the treatment of Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, calling it unacceptable.

She warned that women would soon march to the National Assembly to demand justice.

The controversy erupted last week when Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, chairperson of the Senate Committee on the Diaspora and Nongovernmental Organizations, protested the sudden relocation of her seat within the chamber.

Her refusal to move to the newly assigned seat led to a standoff with Senate President Akpabio, who declined to recognize her objections.

In response, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu appealed for calm, suggesting that the matter be handled through diplomatic channels.