Politics
“Nigeria’s taxation approach against global standard for honest leadership”
The 2023 presidential candidate for the Labour Party, Peter Obi has said that the taxation approach adopted by Nigeria is against the global standard for honest leadership.
In a post made in X on Friday, Obi said that a nation cannot attain economic growth and prosperity by taxing its poor population.
According to the former Anambra State governor, lasting economic and social progress can only be ascertained through national consensus.
He also noted that leaders who have succeeded in uniting their people around a shared vision do so by sharing a defining quality – honesty.
Further addressing the need for transparency in governance, Obi said, every citizen deserves nothing less but truth from those who lead them.
“True leaders do not exploit their people to enrich themselves and a few cronies; they build trust, unity, and shared purpose – the foundation of sustainable progress.
“It is against this standard of honest leadership that Nigeria’s current approach to taxation must be measured. If taxation is to function as a genuine social contract, it must be rooted in sincerity, fairness, and concern for the welfare of the people,” Obi said.
He also called for clarity around all issues of taxation and its impact on incomes and businesses while detailed explanations should be made available on its expected contribution to national development.
“Without this transparency, taxation becomes a tool of confusion and burden rather than a mechanism for growth and development.
“Nigeria must rethink taxation if it is serious about economic growth, national unity, and shared prosperity. The purpose of sound fiscal policy is not merely to raise revenue; it is to make the people wealthier so that the nation itself becomes stronger. Yet today, Nigerians are asked to pay taxes without clarity, explanation, or visible benefit.
“The solution begins with empowering small and medium-sized enterprises in every community. When small businesses thrive, jobs are created, incomes rise, and the tax base expands naturally. You cannot tax your way out of poverty – you must produce your way out of it,” he added.
Also describing the ongoing tax fraud saga as alarming, Obi said for the first time in Nigeria’s history, a tax law has reportedly been forged.
He noted, “The National Assembly itself has admitted that the version gazetted is not what was passed into law. Yet citizens are being asked to pay higher taxes under this manipulated framework—without transparency, without explanation, and without corresponding benefits.
“There is no virtue in celebrating increased government revenue while the people grow poorer. Taxing poverty does not create wealth; it deepens hardship. Any tax system that makes citizens poorer violates the fundamental principles of good governance and sound fiscal policy.
“Nigeria needs a fair, lawful, and people-centred tax system—one that supports production, rewards enterprise, protects the vulnerable, and restores trust between government and citizens. Only then can taxation become a true tool for unity, growth, and shared prosperity,” he wrote on X.
Politics
Breaking: Niger State First Lady Mobilises Stakeholders For Maternal, Child Health Campaign
Wife of Niger State Governor, Hajiya Fatima Umaru Bago, has called on wives of local government chairmen, women leaders, traditional and religious institutions and other stakeholders to mobilise communities and ensure every woman and child benefits from maternal and child healthcare services across the state.
She made the call during the flag-off of the 2026 first round of the June/July Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) in Tafa, Tafa Local Government Area, held in collaboration with development partners and funded by the United States Government.
The governor’s wife also urged pregnant women and nursing mothers to regularly visit health facilities, noting that more women and children are increasingly accessing healthcare services across the state.
“Healthcare is a shared responsibility. Government cannot do it alone. We all have a role to play in ensuring that mothers and children receive the care they deserve,” Mrs Bago noted.
She urged residents to become advocates of primary healthcare in their communities to improve access to essential health services and ensure that no woman or child is left behind.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Murtala Bagana, said the health of women and children remains critical to the state’s development agenda.
“Our determination is to strengthen healthcare delivery, expand access to essential services and improve the quality of life of our people,” he stated.
Earlier, the Executive Director of the Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency, NSPHCDA, Dr. Junaidu Inuwa, said the campaign was aimed at ensuring healthcare services reach communities across the state.
In separate goodwill messages, development partners, including the World Health Organization, WHO, and the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, described the initiative as a demonstration of Niger State’s commitment to improving maternal, newborn and child health outcomes through integrated health and nutrition services.
Speaking on behalf of development partners, Chief of UNICEF’s Kaduna Field Office, Dr. Gerida Birukila, represented by Grace Odeyemi, said sustained collaboration would help build a healthier and more resilient state.
“Together, we can build a healthier, stronger and more resilient Niger State where every mother survives and every child thrives,” she said
The Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, has removed the names of Ahmed Yayari and Daniel Woyengikuro from its portal as Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, National Treasurer and National Financial Secretary, respectively.
A check by DAILY POST shows that both names have also been replaced with Odeyemi Mackson Oladiran and Eyim Donatus Henry as the new executives.
Yayari and Woyengikuro who are part of the Makinde-backed Turaki faction while Odeyemi and Eyim are members of the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s faction, which is also the recognised faction of the PDP.
INEC had earlier recognised Wike’s faction by putting the names of Abdulrahman Mohammed as the National Chairman and Samuel Anyanwu as the National Secretary, but had left the names of Yayari and Woyengikuro as part of the executives.
With the recent update on its portal, all executives of the PDP on INEC’s portal are now aligned with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
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