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Civil Society Observer Group Thumbs PDP Gubernatorial Primary Election

Published

1 year ago

February 24, 2024

…Says it met Best Standard Practice

Jeph Ajayi

The Coalition of accredited Civil Society Observer Groups has thumbed the successful conduct of credible, transparent, free, fair and all inclusive primary election of the party on the 22nd February, 2024 Edo State People Democratic Party PDP ahead of the September 21st, 2024 Governorship election.

To this end, the group also commend the PDP family in Edo state, especially the delegates for their peaceful and orderly conduct during the election.

In a statement issued by the ,group team leader Victor Kalu and Team Secretary Mrs Rose Akhi gbe on Friday in Abuja said the election is no doubt met the international best practices for democratic election.

According to the statement, We Coalition of accredited Civil Society Observer Groups for the 22nd February, 2024 Edo State PDP Gubernatorial Primary Election, having carefully followed the entire process of the election with respect to the Party Constitution and Guidelines for the conduct of the election in line with the Independent National Electoral Commission Set Standards and our other relevant National Electoral Laws, wish to state our position and report categorically clear as thus:

“Ahead of the September 21st, 2024 Governorship election in Edo state, as scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), following the soon to be ended tenure of the incumbent governor H. E. Godwin Obaseki.
“The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) announced 22nd February, 2024 for the conduct of their primaries to elect a flag bearer for the 21st Sept. 2024 Governorship election. This date was timely communicated to all the aspirants, party stakeholders and all other relevant authorities including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and was unanimously agreed by all as being convenient.

“The official venue for the party primary election was announced to be at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Be in City. While the party also adopted indirect primaries.
“We are impressed to observed that before the primary election, the party ratified as genuine and authentic the delegate lists that was produced after the peaceful delegate election and in affirmation of the commitment in ensuring credible, transparent, free, fair and all inclusive primary election of the party, the delegate list was given to all the aspirants to enable them have direct access to the delegate and lobby for their votes.
“Ten aspirants were screened and cleared to participate in the election.There was an impressive and adequate awareness among party members for the election.”
The statement added that: “Also, the regular stakeholders engagement by the National and State leadership of the party was very instrumental in ensuring peaceful and orderly conduct of the primary election. The stakeholders meetings played a crucial role in disseminating important information, clarifying doubts, and building trust among party members.

“The level playground given to all the aspirants, even to the point of making the delegate list available to them, went a long way in dowsing tension and building great trust on the neutrality and unbiased position of the National LEADERSHIP of the party and the Election Committee in conducting credible and acceptable election.

“Accreditations: The screening and accreditation of delegates, media, Observers, Security Personnel and all other election duty officials was carefully and transparently done in Edo Hotel Marque, GRA, Benin city between the hours of 8:am to 12:noon prompt under the watchful eyes of various security Agents and other relevant bodies. The successfully accredited delegates and officials were simultaneously transported to the venue of the Primary election, Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium by designated Buses under a very tight security.

“Based on the above appreciable democratic approach taken by the PDP leadership and His Excellency Dauda Lawal led Primary Election Committee, we wish to make the following categorical state;

“The PDP Governorship Election in Edo state actually took place as scheduled on the 22nd of September, 2024.The national and State leadership of the People Democratic Party was very resolute and committed to ensuring a peaceful and all inclusive party primary election that will stand as an example and further unit the party.

” This they, to the best of our observation achieved. There was timely availability of all the election materials and open display of same to all the Aspirants’ Agents, delegates and all relevant stakeholders before the commencement of the election in line with the party’s constitution and guidelines.

“There was a visible and adequate presence of various security Agents who conducted themselves in a very professional and orderly manner before, during and after the election.

“The Executive Governor of the state, His Excellency Godwin Obaseki is hereby applauded for his fatherly disposition to all the aspirants and for his open campaign against godfatherism/imposition of candidates in our polity as a people.

“Finally we commend and appreciate PDP Edo state Governorship Primary Election Committee ably chaired and co-chaired by His Excellency Dauda Lawal of Zamfara state and His Excellency Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta state respectively, for their professional conduct and for remaining resolute and committed to conducting the most credible, transparent, free and fair all inclusive primary election in the state.

“We conclude by stating very categorically that the Edo State PDP Governorship Primary Election actually took place as scheduled on the 22nd February, 2024 in the official Venue and INEC recognized venue, Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium Benin City under a very peaceful and calm atmosphere. The exercise was transparent, credible, free and fair in line with democratic tenets of constitutional elections.

“We therefore adjudge it to have met the international best practices for democratic election.

“The results and outcome of the election should therefore be accepted by all as a true reflection of the People Democratic Party members’ choice of their flag bearer in the forth coming September 21st 2924 governorship election in the Edo state.

“We use the medium to urge the winner of the Primary election to reach out to all other aspirants and show magnanimity in victory, while appealing to those who lost out in the election to show a good spirit of sportsmanship which is the beauty of democracy- there is always another chance, or better explore every democratic channel as stipulated by law to ventilate their grievances without violence.”

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Business

Tax Reform Bills: The Verdict of Nigerians

Published

2 weeks ago

March 6, 2025

The Gleamer

Ismaila Ahmad Abdullahi Ph.D

The public hearings conducted recently by the two Chambers of the National Assembly have elicited positive responses from a broad spectrum of Nigerians, cutting across regional interest groups, government agencies, civil society groups, concerned individuals, the academia, and Labour Unions, among diverse others. Contrary to a few dissensions hitherto expressed in the media, almost all the stakeholders who spoke during the week-long sessions were unanimous in their declaration that the hallowed Chambers should pass the tax reform bills after a clean-up of the grey areas.

The public hearings were auspicious for all Nigerians desirous of economic growth and fiscal responsibility. They were also a watershed moment for the Federal Inland Revenue Service, which had been upbeat about the tax reforms. Indeed, the public hearings had rekindled hope in the tenets of democracy that guarantee freedom of expression and equitable space for cross-fertilisation of ideas. Without gainsaying the fact, the tax reform bills have been unarguably about the most thought-provoking issues in Nigeria today, drawing variegated perspectives and commentaries from even unlikely quarters such as the faith-based leaders, student bodies, and trade unions, which speaks much about the importance of the bills.

In the build-up to the public hearings, not many people believed that the bills would make it to the second reading, much less the public hearings. Even the Northern stakeholders who seemed unlikely to support the passage of the bills have softened their stance and have given valuable suggestions that would enrich the substance of the bills. The Arewa Consultative Forum came to the public hearings well-prepared with a printed booklet that addressed their concerns. It concluded with an advisory that the bills should be “Well planned, properly communicated, strategically implemented and ample dialogue and political consensus allowed for the reforms to be accepted.”

The concerns of ACF ranged from the composition of the proposed Nigeria Revenue Service Board as contained in Part 111, Section 7 of the bill, the unlimited Presidential power to exempt/wave tax payment as proposed in Section 75(1) of the bill, the family income or inheritance tax as contained in Part 1, Section 4(3) of the bill, to the issues around development levy and VAT. On the development levy, the ACF stated that unless the Federal Government is considering budgetary funding for TETFUND, NASENI and NITDA, it does not see the “wisdom behind the plan to replace (them) with NELFUND”.

The position of the North was equally reinforced by the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria, Northern Elders Forum, Kano State Government, Professor Auwalu Yadudu, and the FCT Imams. Like the ACF, these stakeholders lent their respective voices to the Section on the Inheritance Tax in Part 1 of the bill and the use of the term ‘ecclesiastical’, which, in their views, undermines certain religious rights and beliefs. The Kano State Government, represented by Mahmud Sagagi, affirmed that “we support tax modernisation” but cautioned that “we must ensure that this process does not come at the expense of states’ constitutional rights and economic stability”. Professor Auwalu Yadudu, a constitutional law professor, drew attention to the use of the ‘supremacy clause’ and cautioned that the repeated use of “notwithstanding” in the bills would undermine the supremacy of the Nigerian constitution if passed as such.

Other stakeholders that made contributions at the sessions included the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Nigeria Customs Service, and a host of others. While most of their concerns bordered on technical issues requiring fine-tuning, they were unanimous in their support for the bills. They aligned with the position of the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Zacch Adedeji, Ph.D. and the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, which is that the extant tax laws and fiscal regulations are obsolete necessitating reforms aimed at creating a fair and equitable tax and fiscal space to grow Nigeria’s economy.

In one of the sessions, Dr Zaach Adedeji expounded on the criss-cross of trade activities in the Free Trade Zone whereby companies misuse tax waivers as exporters to sell their goods or services in the Customs Area at an amount usually less than the price the operators in the Customs Area who pay VAT and other taxes sell theirs thereby disrupting business transactions. This way, the operators in the Free Trade Zone shortchange the government in paying their due taxes by circumventing extant regulations, which are inimical to the economy’s growth.

Overall, the presentations were forthright, foresighted, and helpful in elucidating the issues contained in the bills. According to the statistics read out at the end of the hearings at the Senate, 75 stakeholders were invited, 65 made submissions, and 61 made presentations. At the House of Representatives 53 stakeholders made presentations. By all means, this is a fair representation. Given the presentations, it is evident that the National Assembly has gathered enough materials to guide its deliberations on the bills. As we look forward to the passage of the bills, we commend the leadership of the National Assembly for their unwavering commitment to making the bills see the light of the day.

Abdullahi is the Director of the Communications and Liaison Department, FIRS.

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