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Forget Interim Idea, PDP Warns Schemers
Photo Credit:Punch Newspapers
The Peoples Democratic Party has described as evil, the allegations that some individuals at the Presidency were plotting to install an interim government at the expiration of the tenure of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
There have been allegations that some powerful elements in high places were responsible for the current fuel and naira scarcity in the country in their bid to cause the postponement of the February 25 presidential election and prepare the ground for the enthronement of an interim government.
But speaking with our correspondent on Saturday, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said the very thought of an interim government was unacceptable to millions of Nigerians.
He said, “As a party, we don’t want to be drawn into the controversy of who is plotting what, when and how. But whether those plotting an interim government for our country are in Aso Rock or the forest, we want to advise them to perish the thought.
People Are After Tinubu’s Money — Babachir
Photo Credit:Daily Trust
A former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Babachir Lawal, has said that people are after the money of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Babachir Lawal stated this during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today.
He was reacting to Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s recent comment on the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP)Peter Obi.
El-Rufai said Peter Obi cannot win the election despite the opinion polls placing him ahead of other presidential candidates in the election.
Babachir Lawal said, “Naturally for every politician that is contesting for an election he thinks that he will win. That is why he is contesting. But we have come to a point where people are living under a delusion; they don’t want to see facts and accept them as facts.
“Like my friend Bola for obvious reasons he has a lot of money. He has been pumping in and people are after that money.
Photo Credit:Google
INEC Says BVAS Won’t Fail
Photo Credit:Punch Newspapers
The Independent National Electoral Commission has assured Nigerians that the bimodal voter accreditation system will ensure credible and transparent 2023 general elections as the BVAS machines have never failed.
The INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, made this known on Saturday while assessing activities at polling units in the Federal Capital Territory where the mock accreditation of voters was held using the BVAS machines.
The exercise was held nationwide.
He also said arrangements had been made to provide spare machines for the elections.
“In the two polling units we have visited so far, there is no report of failure. The machines have performed optimally and this is the report we are getting so far nationwide.
“We have also made contingency arrangements like we will do on election day, that there is a spare machine and in the unlikely event of a malfunction, we will be able to respond and fix the machines,’’ Yakubu said.
According to him, reports from the mock exercise nationwide, it took less than 30 seconds to accredit a voter, assuring that accreditation and electronic transmission of results during the general elections would be done seamlessly.
FG Projects N250bn From Excise Duty
Photo Credit:Punch Newspapers
The Federal Government plans to raise N250.09bn from excise duty in 2023, according to findings by The PUNCH.
This was according to the 2023 fiscal framework document obtained by our correspondent.
According to the document, the Federal Government targeted N98.53bn from excise duty in 2021 and N161.7bn in 2022.
This shows that the government revenue target from excise duty rose by 153.82 per cent in two years and 54.66 per cent in one year.
The PUNCH reported in November last year that the Federal Government plans to introduce more sin taxes and cut down on tax incentives in 2023 through the proposed 2022 Finance Bill.
However, experts and organisations have kicked against the government introducing more excise tax.
The carbonated soft drinks Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria in December last year said that the Federal Government’s claim to add a 20 per cent Ad-Valorem Excise Tax on carbonated soft drinks in a bid to raise taxes for investment into health is misleading.
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