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Tax Reform: Gov Sule dismisses claims of rift with President Tinubu
The governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, has faulted the efforts to create a wedge between President Bola Tinubu and governors of the North over the controversial tax reform bills currently at the National Assembly, saying the governors who worked for his emergence have never and are not working against him.
Governor Sule made the disclosure on Friday while receiving a delegation from the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, who visited him at the Government House in Lafia. He explained that what the northern governors called for was the need for further consultation on the tax reform bill before the National Assembly, which encompasses the Value Added Tax.
He accused some vested interests of spreading false information with the intent to cause political tension through unfounded insinuations that the northern governors were opposed to the president.
According to Sule, people who were opposed to Tinubu’s presidency are now pretending to be his better supporters more than those who fought for his victory.
For some people making noise and saying the Northern governors are fighting the President, nobody is fighting the President. How could you fight a President who has made you look good? This is the truth. All we are saying is that some aspects of it, we need to look into it,” he said.
Sule thanked President Tinubu for enacting policies that have made governance and development easy in Nasarawa State without going into debt, saying he could not kick against a leader who has made meaningful contributions to the state’s progress.
The governor said there was a need for better understanding of some of the provisions in the tax reform bills. “We called for the withdrawal of the bills to review some aspects. They said it’s a wrong language, that amendments can be made without withdrawing the bills. I said that’s fine. I’m not looking for any trouble,” he explained.
On Value Added Tax, Governor Sule leaned on his private sector experience to impress upon its necessity for state finances.
He explained that Nasarawa State receives over N4 billion monthly from VAT, which has been very critical for its capital projects. He expressed apprehension over possible changes in the formula for sharing VAT due to the implication for states like Nasarawa, which rely so much on such revenue with their very meager IGR.
I know more about VAT than most of those arguing about it. Having been a chief executive, I know how it is generated and used. Today, it is the lifeblood of many states. Take away VAT from FAAC and you will see how we will all be struggling to fund projects, and I must speak for my people.”.
Governor Sule thanked the CAN Chairman, Very Reverend Dr. Sunday Emma, and his team for calling on the government to create more awareness on the tax reforms. He aligned himself with the call for comprehensive sensitization to be given to Nigerians on the proposed changes.
If they do proper sensitization and address the VAT issue, I will be fully supportive of the tax reforms. But it will be difficult without that, especially for states with low IGR,” he concluded.
Earlier, Dr. Emma had urged both federal and state governments to prioritize awareness campaigns about the tax reforms to foster greater public understanding and inclusion.
…demands full investigation report from DSS
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been called upon, to as a matter of urgent necessity, arraign its former Chairman, Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa to court, over multiple corruption allegations against him.
The Coalition of Activists Against Corruption in Nigeria (CAACIN), handed this charge, through a statement in Kaduna, Thursday morning.
In the statement signed by the Spokesperson of the Coalition, Comrade Ahmed Aliyu, the Department of State Services (DSS) was also challenged to make public, the report of their investigation, in the over four months detention and interrogation of the erstwhile EFCC Boss in their custody in 2023.
“It is not possible to detian a man of his caliber for 5 months, for nothing. We invite the DSS to make open, the report of their findings. There were multiple corruption allegations against Bawa which the EFCC and DSS were also aware. Nigerians can’t afford to let these be swept under the carpet”, the statement read in part.
The Coalition’s call is coming barely three days after a group, Citizens Forum for Transparency and Integrity (CFTI), in a statement by its President, Alhaji Aminu Mustapha Gidado, in Lagos; accused Bawa of working secretly with the opposition figures to discredit President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In what the group described as “coordinated and sinister,” the CFTI alleged that Bawa recently met with key opposition figures in London, where discussions were held on using his former contacts within the EFCC to target four serving Ministers in Tinubu’s cabinet.
While reacting on Thursday, the Coalition of Activists Against Corruption in Nigeria also frowned at the rationale behind keeping those appointees and close allies of the ex-Chairman in the Commission, two years after he was sacked.
The Coalition said, “it does not make any sense to still keep the appointees and close allies of a man who was severally accused of embezzlement, fraud, bribery and other corrupt practices in the system. It is as good as still having the corrupt man in the system. Aside the fact that the system will remain corrupted by them, it’s also a simple logic that the ex-Chairman could use them to sabotage the Commission and the government.
“Keeping those Bawa appointed or employed in his two years sway in the Commission is just to say that the EFCC is sitting on a time bomb, as it would only take time for his loyalists to begin sabotage the fight against corruption and rubbish the integrity of the Tinubu’s anti-corruption stance.
“It is on this note that we demand that the DSS should avail the public the report of their investigation. The EFCC should as a a matter of urgent necessity, charge Abdulrasheed Bawa to court. The Commission should also purge itself by showing those Bawa brought in, the way out”.
It would be recalled that, President Tinubu suspended Abdulrasheed Bawa as Acting Chairman of the EFCC in June 2023, exactly two weeks after he took over power. The DSS subsequently picked him same day and detained him in Yellow House for 134 days, without giving reason for his arrest or disclose what the result of their investigation was.
Several credible media houses within and outside the country have reported stories about an alleged embezzlement of public funds by the former EFCC boss. Many organizations, including the North Central Citizens Council (NCCC), have also called for full investigation into the allegations levelled against Bawa, even when he was still in the office.
One of the allegations was that the former Chairman expended a large amount of money to the tune of $300,000 for hotels and other activities, which is far and beyond his income as civil servant, during a visit to Mecca with his family on a lesser Hajj, while still in the office.
There were also reports of how Bawa was probed by the current EFCC Chief, Ola Olukoyede, in 2019, over alleged sales of seized assets worth over N4.8 billion, while Bawa was overseeing the Lagos Zonal Office of the Commission; though the EFCC refuted this claim in 2021.
In his last days as Governor of Zamfara State, Mallam Bello Matawalle, had also, during an interview with the BBC Hausa in May 2023, accused Bawa of demanding a bribe of two million dollars from him.
“If he exits office, people will surely know he is not an honest person. I have evidence against him. Let him vacate the office, I am telling you within 10 seconds probably more than 200 people will bring evidence of bribes he collected from them. He knows what he requested from me but I declined.
“He requested a bribe of two million dollars from me and I have evidence of this. He knows the house we met, he invited me and told me the conditions. He told me governors were going to his office but I did not. If I don’t have evidence, I won’t say this,” the governor said in the interview”, Matawalle had told BBCHausa.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is preparing for a pivotal meeting today to finalize arrangements for the upcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) gathers momentum.
This meeting takes place amid escalating tensions over the party’s national secretaryship, a dispute that has deepened divisions within the PDP.
The crisis has intensified as the South-East zonal caucus has threatened to withdraw from the party unless their nominee, Sunday Ude-Okoye, is officially confirmed for the national secretary role.
At the heart of the conflict is the leadership tussle between Samuel Anyanwu and Ude-Okoye. Despite a general agreement among PDP governors to replace Anyanwu, who lost the 2023 Imo State governorship election, the matter remains unresolved.
However, a key PDP figure, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, insists that Anyanwu should be allowed to complete his tenure. Wike has even threatened legal action, warning that any communication with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)—including the notice for the NEC meeting scheduled for May 27—must bear Anyanwu’s signature.
The forthcoming NEC meeting, set for May 27, is viewed as a crucial opportunity to address the party’s internal challenges and lay the groundwork for the national convention slated for August.
To help mediate the crisis, PDP governors and stakeholders have formed a seven-member committee, led by former Senate President Bukola Saraki, tasked with finding a resolution.
Besides tackling the leadership dispute, today’s NWC meeting will also address ongoing security issues at the PDP national secretariat, Wadata Plaza in Abuja. The secretariat has been repeatedly targeted by thugs amid the secretaryship conflict, raising safety concerns among staff, some of whom have requested that meetings be held offsite in the past.
The NWC is expected to consider restructuring the security arrangements to enhance protection. The recent endorsement of acting national secretary Setonji Koshoedo by 83 PDP administrative staff underscores the urgency of resolving these matters.
Sources within the party, speaking to Daily Trust, say the NWC is committed to ensuring the NEC meeting proceeds as planned despite attempts by some factions to obstruct it.
“One faction is still working to block the NEC meeting, but the NWC is focused on getting the process started and making sure the meeting happens,” one source said.
The source added, “Security concerns are also high on the agenda. The secretariat has been invaded multiple times during the secretaryship dispute. Staff safety remains a serious issue — at one point, even the Board of Trustees had to hold meetings outside the secretariat. The NWC aims to implement a comprehensive security overhaul.”
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
As of Wednesday, May 14, 2025, the exchange rate for the US Dollar to the Nigerian Naira on the Lagos Parallel Market (commonly referred to as the black market) stands at ₦1,625 for buying and ₦1,630 for selling.
This information is based on data obtained from reliable sources within the Bureau De Change (BDC) community.
It is important to emphasize that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) does not endorse or recognize the black market. The apex bank has consistently advised individuals and businesses seeking foreign exchange to make use of official channels by contacting their respective commercial banks.
USD to NGN (Black Market) Exchange Rate
Buying Rate ₦1,625
Selling Rate ₦1,630
Official CBN Dollar to Naira Rate – May 14, 2025
USD to NGN (CBN Rate) Rate
Highest Rate ₦1,600
Lowest Rate ₦1,595
Please keep in mind that the rates listed here are subject to market fluctuations and may vary depending on the location, time of transaction, and volume of currency exchanged.
Exchange rates are constantly changing due to market dynamics. This article provides indicative rates and should not be considered as financial advice. For the most accurate and up-to-date rates, consult with your bank or a licensed Bureau De Change operator.
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