The Federal Capital Territory’s Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) will implement the law to penalize or punish any organizations, employers, or agents that fail to comply with the clearly outlined filing deadline.
As the Service has no intentions to extend the deadline, it recommended taxpayers to file their annual reports by the deadline of January 31, 2023, especially if they have employers or agents in the FCT.
According to Mustapha Sumaila, the FCT-head IRS’s of corporate communications, in a statement to press in Abuja.
The statement reads: This exercise is “In compliance with Section 41 of the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) 2011 (as amended) provides that all employers of labour in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are required to file annual returns of income from All sources for the year ended, (31st December, 2022) on or before the 31st of January 2023 using the prescribed forms i.e Form G and Form H1 respectively.
“Sections 94, 95 and 96 of the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) stipulate penalties for non-filing, incorrect or false declaration and late submission.
“Copies of the forms (Form G and Form H1) can be obtained from any of the FCT-IRS Tax Offices across the territory or downloaded from the website at https://www.fctirs.gov.ng/downloads”.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has been urged by the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council to make an official apology to Nigerians for the Special Purpose saga rather than making futile attempts to cover up the terrible controversy.
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate is accused of violating the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, and the APC PCC called on the anti-graft agencies to arrest and prosecute him. The APC PCC even threatened to take the agencies to court to force them to take action.
As a response to the APC, Atiku and the PDP have asked the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to bring charges against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for alleged money laundering and drug violations.
Expressing his displeasure with the twist in the allegations and counter allegations, the APC PCC said Atiku was using the spurious tale tale old drug accusation against Tinubu to defray a damaging allegation.
The statement signed by Bayo Onanuga Director, Media & Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council said Atiku had no moral ground to seek public office after the SPV scandal.
“It is obvious that the Peoples Democratic Party and its Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar are yet to recover from the bombshell released last week by the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, which questioned the morality of the candidate to remain in the race, following his own damaging self-confession.
“At the press conference we called on the security agencies to arrest, investigate and prosecute Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President for running Special Purpose Vehicles used to loot the treasury of the country, in what is now known as Atikugate.
“Since the scandal broke out, along with legal action to compel anti-graft agencies to perform their role, Atiku and his party, PDP have laboured in vain to deflect and cover-up with their series of ad hominem arguments.
“Instead of Atiku to apologise to Nigerians for abusing his office and position of trust in the past, Atiku’s spokesmen continue to dig deeper in the hole they already found themselves by raising many false allegations against our candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The latest chapter in Atiku and PDP’s comedy, is the rehash of old tales and fables that have no basis in facts and reality against our candidate”.
The PCC maintained that to he former Vice Presidentack.the character to present himself to seek public office.
“Our stand remains that Atiku Abubakar lacks the character to be the president of Nigeria.
“He is unfit to lead our country because he can be an easy target for compromises that will be against national interest.
“Atiku in deeds and words has shown that he cannot be trusted to manage the resources of Nigeria.
“And we believe that the characters who still parade themselves as his spokespersons have lost their minds. This is why they think Nigerians can be swayed by all their deliberate falsehoods and the lies they manufacture everyday against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deceive the public, when they should all be remorseful for the legendary corruption of their boss”.
In the run-up to the 2023 general elections, the Pan Yoruba socio-political organization Afenifere has urged political parties and their candidates to concentrate on policy rather than resort to personal assaults on rivals.
Afenifere stated that political parties and their candidates should concentrate on how they would address the myriad of challenges that the country is facing rather than coming up with statements and deeds that “de-market opponents and possibly cause bodily harm on other people” in a press release issued on Sunday by the organization’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, Afenifere stated that political parties and their candidates should focus on issues regarding how they would tackle the myriad of challenges that the country is facing rather than coming up with utterances and actions that border on “de-marketing of opponents and possibly causing bodily harms on other people.
The organisation noted that politicians are, of late, hurling serious verbal attacks against one another while physical attacks have also been reported in a few places, which has even led to the loss of lives in some instances.
Afenifere maintained that politicians ought to have matured beyond the seeming villainy they currently display, stressing that the verbal attacks emanating from some candidates and their spokespersons are encouraging their unscrupulous supporters to violently attack opponents in a manner that could result in bloodshed.
The socio-political organisation recalled that Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, last week came up with various allegations against the prresidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and in the same vein, the spokesman of PDP, Honourable Debo Ologunagba, accused the presidential candidate of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu of directing “his party members to unleash violence on Nigerians”.
According to Afenifere, Ologunagba alleged that Tinubu gave the directive at a closed-door event in London that inadvertently leaked to the public.
Afenufere stated, “Earlier last week, a man suspected to be one of the supporters of the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, was allegedly tortured by some unknown men at Oraifite in the Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State.
“A video clip that has been circulating on the social media shown the leader of the unknown gunmen threatening that anyone caught wearing or putting on any campaign material of politicians would be severely dealt with.
“On Friday, January 20, 2023 three persons were reportedly injured, following double explosions that rocked a rally by the APC, at the Rumu-Woji Play Ground, also known as Ojukwu Field in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Expressing serious concern over the escalating violence in spite of various peace accords being signed by presidential candidates, Afenifere disclosed that a research organis, SB Morgan had, in a report at the end of last year revealed that 27 Nigerians were killed in 57 politically-motivated violent incidents between January and December 2022.
The organisation also quoted the National Security Adviser (NSA) to the President, Major General Babagana Monguno, as saying that Nigeria recorded 52 acts of political violence across 22 states between October 8 and November 9. That was 52 acts of political violence within just one month! Monguno said this at an emergency meeting of the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja recently.
“The Electoral Commission had earlier said that as at December 2022, it had recorded 50 attacks in 15 of the country’s 36 states and the federal capital (Abuja) since 2019. There have been some other attacks since then including the ones that happened in Ogun, Osun, Imo, Ebonyi, Abia and Enugu states among others,” Afenifere stated.
“Penultimate week, the attacks became so worrisome that INEC officials spoke of the danger the attacks could constitute for the smooth conduct of the forthcoming elections. Afenifere, like some other concerned groups and individuals in the country, issued serious warnings against anything that could cause a postponement or cancelation of the scheduled elections.
“Candidates and political parties that have good programmes to execute would not resort to verbal or physical attacks. We urge political parties and their candidates to focus on what plans they have to put an end or at least ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians. They should let us know that they understand they enormity of the problems facing us and that they have solutions to these problems. An end should be put to mutual self-abuse either verbally or physically,” Afenifere noted.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has established a parallel army (the Jagaban Army), and the Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organization has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to protect the integrity of the Nigerian military and the sovereignty of the country by calling a meeting of the National Security Council.
The campaign stated that Nigerians are worried that the APC and its presidential candidate will use a parallel army, code-named the Jagaban Army, to undermine national security, insult the Nigerian Army, cause confusion, disrupt the 2023 elections, and derail the election. This concern was raised by the public outcry over the APC’s and its presidential candidate’s exposed plan.
The campaign, in statement by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan said, “this is even more worrisome in the face of undenied allegations in the public space that the Jagaban Army is training and arming thugs with dangerous weapons in secret locations across the country ostensibly to use the illegal formation to undermine Nigerian security forces and unleash mayhem on Nigerians during the elections.
“Nigerians have been wondering how a political party or any candidate for that matter can create a parallel Army and adorned them with uniforms as well as ranks within a sovereign State as if Nigeria has become Asiwaju Tinubu’s fiefdom.
“Furthermore, Nigerians are alarmed that the APC Presidential Candidate went to London to declare war on our nation by openly charging his party cohorts to take power at all costs, only for him to return to the country to have his campaign set up a parallel Army to undermine our national security in order to achieve his malevolent designs.”
The campaign said that the expectation of Nigerians was that after Asiwaju Tinubu declared that “political power is not served in a restaurant, it is not served a la carte. It is what we are doing; It is being determined; you do it at all cost; fight for it, grab it, snatch it and run (away) with it,” the security authorities ought to have immediately taken him in for questioning for treasonable felony.
The campaign said that this is not the first time Tinubu has come out brazenly to undermine the sovereignty of the nation as well as the office and the person of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Nigerians can recall how Asiwaju Tinubu went to the Presidential villa, undermine President Buhari by using the Presidential facility in the Seat of Power to announce his presidential interest. That, to say the least, was felonious.
“Nigerians are also aware of how the APC Presidential Candidate has arrogantly continued to disrespect, disparage and undermine the person of the President and how he had publicly mocked and depicted President Buhari as weak and weeping over losses in presidential elections until, according to him, he (Tinubu) came to his rescue and made him (Buhari) President.
‘The import is that Asiwaju Tinubu, in his arrogance, believes that he cannot be subjected to President Buhari’s Constitutional powers and this accounts for his temerity to run a parallel Army; a treasonable act against the Office of the President and our national sovereignty,” the campaign said.
The campaign said it is clear that Asiwaju Tinubu is desperate to be President, but with manifest signs of rejection by Nigerians, he is ready to cause bloodletting and destroy the democratic process.
“It is imperative to state that insurrectionary groups that unleashed mayhem and derailed democracy in many parts of the world all started with desperate power seekers who cannot gain office through democratic means.
“The fear across our country is that the APC Presidential Candidate is apparently following this dangerous path.
“We implore Asiwaju Tinubu to come to terms with the reality that Nigerians have made up their minds to elect the PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as the next President of Nigeria, come February 25,” it said.
The campaign, has, however, demanded that President Buhari should stamp his feet of authority and check Asiwaju Tinubu from sinking the nation into an abyss.
The Federal Government (FG), according to Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, is encouraging the Fulani herdsmen militia to seize power.
He revealed this to reporters not long after he paid Sunday visits to patients at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Makurdi, who were being treated for injuries sustained in attacks by Fulani herdsmen at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp at Abagena.
Remember how the herders assaulted the camp on Friday, leaving roughly nine people in its wake?
Among the victims that the governor visited were an aged woman, Esther Num who was shot on the waist; 14 year old Emberga Ukpoor whose hand was chopped off and Terna Ikyaan, that was shot in the abdomen.
Others are 14 year old Kwaghve Terkimbi, who had his ear chopped-off as well as Agber Ikyume, Regina Gbashaor, Eunice Iyua who were inflicted with various degrees of injuries.
According to the Governor, “This is my pain, since 2015, I have cried out loud that the Federal Government is complicit to the issues of terrorism raising Fulanis in Niger from Futa Jalon (Senegal), Cameroon, Mauritania and Libya and other parts of the world so that they will come to Nigeria and take it and make it their country.
“One thing that pains me is that these people have not hidden their intentions and they are known. The Federal Government is protecting them.
“I have called for the arrest of the leadership of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore several times. I have written to the Presidency. I have written to DSS, I have written to the Police, and yet they are adamant. It is not that these people are not known, they are known,” Ortom insisted.
He further stressed that ‘The day that the Federal Government wants these acts of terrorism against our people to end, that will be it. But for now they are complicit. They are working with them to push for the take-over of this country and make this country a Fulani nation.
“I am quoting the Fulani National Movement, I am quoting Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore who are responsible for these recruitment and killings that are going on.
“No one has attempted to even call these people and question them and do the needful. If we are a country that believes in the rule of law, this will not continue. We are fed up with this kind of lawlessness that is going on.
“I have restrained myself from becoming a lawless governor or a lawless leader, because this will lead to anarchy and when we get to that level that is war and nobody can pray for war.
“Those who have experienced it (war) before, including security agencies, none of them will ask for this kind of situation”, he stated.
Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate, has urged the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the police, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to apprehend and prosecute Ahmed Bola Tinubu, the APC’s presidential candidate.
Additionally, the Festus Keyamo, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, has been urged to be fired by President Muhammadu Buhari for interfering with the conduct of free, fair, and credible elections, according to the Atiku Presidential Campaign Council.
Speaking at a world press conference by the Directorate of Strategic Communications, led by Dele Momodu, titled, “Why NDLEA, EFCC must arrest and prosecute Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the Spokesperson of Presidential Campaign Council, Daniel Bwala and the Special Assistant, Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar, Phrank Shaibu listed why Tinubu should be arrested and prosecuted.
Bwala said Tinubu should be arrested for creating a militia via his agents called “Jagaban Soldiers and Battalion,” for the purposes of executing his political agenda which could have a wider implication to the peaceful conduct of elections and the human rights of the citizens of Nigeria.
Noting the implications of the statement credited to Tinubu in London that members should at all cost grab, snatch and run with his mandate, Bwala said, “shortly after his declaration violence has visited several states by members of APC on opposition in rallies, homes, streets etc. The creation of militia has never happened in the history of politics in Nigeria until now. We call on Nigeria’s security and intelligence platforms to investigate and where necessary arrest all those involved including the presidential candidate of APC.”
Bwala also noted that Tinubu has been using Keyamo to bully and intimidate an institution of government, adding that recently, the Minister wrote a letter to agencies of the government, who are same members of the executive branch of government and demanded that in 72 hours they should prosecute a presidential candidate of PDP, Atiku Abubakar.
The Atiku spokesperson also noted that the Minister has been using the tax payers money official privilege and power to heavily compromise the agencies of government.
“We call on the president to sack the Minister of State for Labour and Employment forthwith for using official position funded by tax payer’s money to interfere with the conduct of a free, fair and credible elections. We also call on the president to read the riots act to agents of the government from interfering with this election. Any effort to intimidate opposition is an effort to interfere with the conduct of a peaceful elections,” he said.
For allegedly forfeiting $460,000 to the United state of America, Shuabu called on the NDLEA to immediately on the NDLEA to arrest and prosecute Tinubu.
He said: “Nigerian law is clear. Criminal cases have no statute of limitation and can be re-opened at anytime especially for the sake of national interest. We hereby call on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to immediately arrest Bola Ahmed Tinubu and prosecute him for drug trafficking.”
Shuabu also urged the anti-graft agency to investigate the source of Tinubu’s wealth, adding, “Tinubu does not enjoy immunity. We hereby call on the EFCC, the NDLEA, the Nigeria Police Force, the Office of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation and the Department of State Services to arrest and prosecute him.”
An anti-sabotage group called The Natives has urged security organizations, in particular the Directorate of State Security Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), to identify and apprehend the saboteur oil marketers and other individuals responsible for the nation’s current fuel shortage.
It said that the present gasoline line and the difficulties the country is experiencing are due to political motivations.
The Natives asked Nigerians to hold some oil industry participants accountable for undermining the efforts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited in a statement released on Sunday in Abuja (NNPCL).
The organization charged industry participants of unilaterally enacting unauthorized fuel pricing.
The Group’s President General, Smart Edwards, lamented that “saboteurs (among the marketers and distributors) have deliberately and for selfish reasons caused the scarcity to the extent that Nigerians testify in worship centres if they eventually fill their car tanks.
“This is abnormal which should not be allowed to stand. We call on the DSS and the NSCDC to go after these enemies of the state.
“We strongly condemn the scare and conduct of players that are leading to hikes and queues as politically motivated, and this is sad, because the masses are at the receiving end.”
Edwards while applauding the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, and the NNPCL on the recent announcement of the possible end of fuel importation by next year, observed that Nigerians were tired of hearing about turn around maintenance year in, year out that leads to non functional refineries in the country.
He said the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva had said that President Muhammadu Buhari had not directed the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) or any agency for that matter to increase the price of fuel.
“The Minister quoted the President as saying ‘this is not the time for any price increase in the pump price of PMS.’
“The Minister explained that what was playing out was the handiwork of mischief makers and those planning to discredit the achievements of the President in the oil and gas sector of the economy. Therefore, these saboteurs should not be allowed to succeed,” Edwards said.
The Group’s leader further added that news about a foreseeable end to petroleum scarcity “is cheering to the people particularly when you justapoxed it with our stand on the complete removal of subsidy.
“We cannot but applaud you and the team at the NNPCL for this positive effort in the right direction. We are tired of hearing turn around maintenance that leads to non-functional refineries, so this is surely a great job you are doing and we obviously welcome the news of the 60000 bpd portion of the refinery that will go operational by the first quarter of 2023.
“You have taken practical steps towards ensuring this delivery. The NNPCL as driven today appears people focused, with the laudable task it embarked on in boosting economic routes and making life easier for citizens by investing in the construction of 44 roads across the country, one can only begin to imagine the possibilities that abound when the NNPCL is left to do the job without distractions.
We can see discoveries of Kolmani and that of Nasarawa state recently, the future effect of drilling and the implementation of the PIA is a clear signal of hope. We believe that turnaround surely awaits the affected states, because it means job opportunities for the youths and other opportunities for the host communities.”
We, however, commend President Muhammadu Buhari (Mr Infrastructure) on the deliberate policy targeting our roads and highways via the Tax Credit Policy. This has made NNPCL very visible to the needs of the citizens and the Nation can only be better for it,” the statement said
The Nigerian Ports Authority’s measures for personnel welfare have the backing of the Ministry of Transportation, according to Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, Minister of Transportation.
Sambo pledged at the Nigerian Ports Authority’s 2022 Year Long Service/Merit Award ceremony.
The Minister also expressed his gratitude to the award recipients and all NPA employees for their efforts as a team and their contributions to the organization’s achievements.
“Let me pledge to you all that the Ministry under my watch will continue to provide unflinching support for all initiatives of the Authority’s management geared towards the promotion of staff welfare.
“As someone that loves to identify with human virtues, I was highly elated when I received the invitation from the Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority to be part of this noble effort.
“Today, we celebrate employees who have dedicated twenty years of their lives to the service of Nigeria through the Authority for twenty years and those in the merit category who have accomplished exceptional feats through uncommon dutifulness,” he said.
Sambo recalled that he had during his maiden visit to NPA, commended the Managing Director for his performance and was glad that he had not relented in his efforts, especially in the aspect of staff welfare.
“In my maiden visit to the Authority upon appointment as Minister of Transportation, whilst, I had commended the Managing Director for the unprecedented performance in revenue generation and remittance.
“He had solicited my backing and support to fast track the processes and procedures necessary for the implementation of staff salary increase which I immediately acceded to, and today I am delighted it has been achieved,” he said.
He added that the celebration demonstrates that the Managing Director and his team understand that organizations that want to create and sustain superior performance must put people first.
Present also at the event were: The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, the Lagos State Governor, represented by the Lagos State commissioner of Transport, Dr Frederic Oladeinde, the Honourable Minister of Labour, Dr Chris Ngige, the Honourable Minister of State, Health, Hon. Ekumankama Joseph Nkama, Minister of State, Transportation, Prince Ademola Adegoroye among others.
The high point of the event was the Presentation of awards to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, the SGF, and the Award of Recognition for Quality Maritime Leadership to the honourable Minister of Transportation.
The Federal High Court in Abuja’s Justice Inyang Ekwo has stated that the information at his disposal clearly demonstrated that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s application for the temporary forfeiture of assets allegedly linked to former Deputy Senate President Senator Ike Ekweremadu was made in bad faith in order to facilitate the legislator’s continued detention by the British government.
The court further concluded that the affidavits presented to it refuted the EFCC’s assertion that Ekweremadu, his company, Foundation, and wife owned all 40 of the properties named.
Justice Ekwo ruled that the facts of the dispute between the EFCC and Ekweremadu provided an appalling situation that shouldn’t have been endured by by a Nigerian whether at home or overseas.
“It is not hard to reason that the essence of the application for interim forfeiture by the Respondent (EFCC) is to give credence to the letter of 18th July, 2022 (Exh. SIE 2) to the Crown Prosecution Service and to give them further reason for continued custody of Senator Ike Ekweremadu in the United Kingdom.
“The facts of this case presents a heart-rending scenario and prompt me to say this- no Nigerian should be made to go through this kind of travail whether at home or abroad. “Another evidence of bad faith is that the Respondent (EFCC) represented in this case that is a matter of interim forfeiture order against the assets in various locations belonging to Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Power Properties Limited, Ikeoha Foundation, and Beatrice N. Ekweremadu.
“By this application, the Court was made to see all the properties mentioned in the ex-parte application as belonging to Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Power Properties Limited, Ikeoha Foundation, and Beatrice Ekweremadu. “However, the development after the Court has given a different picture. I have noted that there are Affidavits to Show Cause respectively from one Uni-Medical Health Care Limited and Anambra State Government claiming to be owners of some of the properties, which ownership has been attributed to Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Power Properties Limited, Ikeoha Foundation and his wife, Beatrice Ekweremadu. These respective Affidavits to Show Cause is indicative of bad faith on the part of the Respondent (EFCC)”, the trial judge ruled.
It would be recalled that the Court had on Friday vacated the interim forfeiture order on 40 landed property allegedly linked to Ekweremadu, his wife, Beatrice, Foundation and companies. Justice Ekwo found that the application for forfeiture filed by the EFCC was not brought in good faith, while the agency also failed to disclose material facts about the matter, and therefore ought to be struck out.
The court held that although the anti-graft agency knew the predicament of Ekweremadu and his wife in the United Kingdom (UK) and did not deny writing a letter to the Crown Prosecution Service in the UK to furnish them with information about the lawmaker, the EFCC still brought an application seeking an order for them to show cause on the assets to be forfeited.
“In this case, the respondent (EFCC) wrote Exhibit SIE 2 (a letter) to the Crown Prosecution Service in the United Kingdom which letter was used as evidence to deny Senator Ike Ekweremadu bail in the criminal proceedings.
“At the same time, the respondent filed ex-parte application for interim forfeiture, which upon order being made thereon required Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife to show cause in Nigeria why an order for final forfeiture ought not to be made. “I have been asking myself the question repeatedly: How can a citizen of Nigeria who is incarcerated outside the country to the knowledge of the respondent, be expected to show cause in an action in Nigeria brought by the respondent?
“In other words, how do you help to tie down a man and initiate a fight and demand that the same man you have helped to tie down must defend himself?
“This in my opinion, is an unconscionable act. The act of the respondent clearly shows that this action was brought in bad faith.
“In law, bad faith entails dishonesty of belief or purpose. I find that the application for forfeiture, going by the facts of this case has not been brought in good faith and ought to be struck out”, Justice Ekwo stated.
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress’ (APC’s) presidential candidate, has escalated his attacks on the PDP, asking Jigawa State’s residents to thwart the party’s efforts to regain power.
Speaking to party supporters who crowded the Mallam Aminu Kano Triangle for the presidential rally over the weekend, Tinubu encouraged people to exercise responsible voting to usher in the kind of leadership that will uphold the legacy of President Mohammadu Buhari’s departing administration.
He said having voted out the “jackals and hyenas” in the PDP administration in 2015, it would be disastrous to give them another opportunity back to power again.
According to him: “You did the courageous job of chasing away the locusts eight years ago, do not trust their deceptive promises. Do not let them back into power. Like locusts, they will devour everything in their path!
“Instead, vote for the people that have a track record of delivering prosperity to the people. We did it in Lagos and Borno, and with your help we will do it again for Nigeria. Vote for the people with the vision, the capacity, the competence and the integrity to do what is right.
“Vote for responsive and responsible leadership. Vote for us. Vote for the APC on February 25 and March 11.”
He said his administration would build on the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari and bring the country to flourish.
Speaking on his administration’s plans, Tinubu promised to revamp the agricultural sector, while also giving great attention to developing infrastructure across the country.
“The vast arable land in Jigawa will be activated to make this state a place to reckon with in agro-business and agro-allied industries.
“We will build upon the gains already recorded in agriculture in this state. We will invest in the expansion of irrigation and water management systems to increase productivity and reduce the impact of extreme weather, drought and flood cycles on crop yields.
“Our initiatives will ensure Jigawa farmers can cultivate their lands all year round,” he added.
He also said, “If you elect me, I will consolidate the ongoing infrastructural revolution by networking our entire country with good roads that would spur development. We will use the road network to connect our major agricultural and industrial hubs.”
Like in all his campaigns, the APC candidate stated the importance of securing the nation for economic growth, promising to provide all critical security agencies with all they require to secure the nation and make it habitable for Nigerians.
He added, “Most importantly of all, we will secure our nation and defeat the menace posed by evil criminals, kidnappers, bandits and terrorists. We will sweep them away. Broom!
“We will do so by recruiting and deploying more security personnel across the various agencies, improving their equipment and training and deploying top shelf technology to improve ground and aerial surveillance in key and dangerous areas.”
Overwhelmed by the tumultuous crowd, Asíwájú Tinubu thanked them every turn, saying ‘Nagode, nagode, thank you, thank you.”
Present at the rally were Senate President Ahmed Lawan, House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, the party’s Vice Presidential Candidate Kashim Shettima, and the Director-General of the campaign and Governor of Plateau, Simon Lalong.
Also at the rally were Chairman, Progressive Governors’ Forum and Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu and Governors Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Umara Zulum (Borno), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe) and Bello Matawalle (Zamfara) as well as the two Deputy National Chairmen of the party, Senator Abubakar Kyari (North) and Barrister Emma Enekwu (South).
Jigawa State Governor Badaru Abubakar thanked the people of the state for turning out in their large numbers to receive Asíwájú Tinubu and APC leaders.
He described Tinubu as his dear father who would soon be the “father of the nation.”
“You know me, I know you. You know what did before and what we are doing at present. You know right from President Buhari and me your governor, we are doing well for you. Baba Asíwájú will take over from there and double our party’s delivery for you”
