Headlines
Ari Insists Binani Won Poll As Police Grill Controversial Adawama REC
The police, on Tuesday, began grilling the suspended Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yunusa-Ari, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, over alleged impropriety during the April 15 supplementary governorship poll in Adamawa State.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, confirmed to our correspondent that Yunusa-Ari and other suspects were in police custody and were being grilled.
This was as the suspended Adamawa REC said, in an interview with BBC Hausa, that he had no regrets about announcing the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Aisha Dahiru, popularly known as Binani, as the winner of the 2023 governorship election Adamawa State.
The PUNCH reports that Yunusa-Ari had stirred controversy after declaring Binani when the collation of results was yet to be completed.
This was followed by an announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission, proclaiming the declaration by the REC as null and void, while Yunusa-Ari was summoned to INEC headquarters in Abuja, but failed to honour the summons.
The electoral umpire further wrote to the Inspector-General of Police, asking the police to investigate, and if found culpable, prosecute Yunusa-Ari for alleged electoral infractions.
Following the receipt of the letter the IG subsequently asked an investigative team to work in collaboration with INEC on the matter, as the electoral umpire revealed that it didn’t know the whereabouts of the suspended Adamawa REC.
Confirming the arrest of Yunusa-Ari and other suspects on Tuesday, the Force spokesman, Adejobi, said, “The Nigeria Police Force hereby confirms the arrest of Barrister Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the Adamawa State REC, who was alleged to have announced the candidate of the All Progressives Congress winner of the gubernatorial election during the recently concluded supplementary elections following calls for his arrest and investigation by the INEC on the basis of alleged impropriety in the course of supplementary gubernatorial polls in the state.
“Barrister Yunusa-Ari, who was arrested by the Police Election Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Team in Abuja on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, is currently in police custody and he’s being grilled to ascertain the motives and motivations behind his alleged improper actions during the supplementary elections in Adamawa State.
“In addition, other officials and individuals culpable in the saga are being interrogated by the team.
“The Inspector-General of Police has given clear assurance that every individual involved/indicted in the matter will be apprehended and investigated in line with the provisions of the law for possible prosecution.
“The IG has assured of the commitment of the Force to ensuring that justice is served in this case and that all guilty parties are brought to justice.”
Meanwhile, speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa on Tuesday prior to his arrest, Yunusa-Ari maintained that he acted in accordance with relevant laws in declaring the APC candidate, Binani, as the governor-elect of Adamawa state before the declaration was overturned by the national headquarters of the electoral empire in Abuja.
He said, “I don’t have the papers with me here but both in the main and supplementary elections, Binani scored 428,173 while Fintiri got 422,303 votes.
“I have no regrets at all as I acted under the law; it is the law that warranted what I did and it shall absolve me.”
On accusations of receiving N2bn to pull off the electoral stunt, Ari told BBC Hausa that, “I never demanded any gratification from either of Binani or Fintiri. None of the duo sent anything to me; if they had done so, by now they will be demanding their money back.”
The Punch
An Abuja High Court has cleared the way for the implementation of Nigeria’s new tax regime scheduled to commence on January 1, 2026, dismissing a suit seeking to halt the programme.
The ruling gives the Federal government, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the National Assembly full legal backing to proceed with the take-off of the new tax laws.
The suit was filed by the Incorporated Trustees of African Initiative for Abuse of Public Trustees, which dragged the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the President, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the National Assembly before the court over alleged discrepancies in the recently enacted tax laws.
In an ex-parte motion, the plaintiff sought an interim injunction restraining the Federal Government, FIRS, the National Assembly and related agencies from implementing or enforcing the provisions of the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025; and the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025, pending the determination of the substantive suit.
The group also asked the court to restrain the President from implementing the laws in any part of the federation pending the hearing of its motion on notice.
However, in a ruling delivered on Tuesday, Justice Kawu struck out the application, holding that it lacked merit and failed to establish sufficient legal grounds to warrant the grant of the reliefs sought.
The court ruled that the plaintiffs did not demonstrate how the implementation of the new tax laws would occasion irreparable harm or violate any provision of the Constitution, stressing that matters of fiscal policy and economic reforms fall squarely within the powers of government.
Justice Kawu further held that once a law has been duly enacted and gazetted, any alleged errors or controversies can only be addressed through legislative amendment or a substantive court order, noting that disagreements over tax laws cannot stop the implementation of an existing law.
Consequently, the court affirmed that there was no legal impediment to the commencement of the new tax regime and directed that implementation should proceed as scheduled from January 1, 2026.
The new tax regime is anchored on four landmark tax reform bills signed into law in 2025 as part of the Federal Government’s broader fiscal and economic reform agenda aimed at boosting revenue, simplifying the tax system and reducing leakages.
The laws — the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025, and the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025 — consolidate and replace several existing tax statutes, including laws governing companies income tax, personal income tax, value added tax, capital gains tax and stamp duties.
Key elements of the reforms include the harmonisation of multiple taxes into a more streamlined framework, expansion of the tax base, protection for low-income earners and small businesses, and the introduction of modern, technology-driven tax administration systems such as digital filing and electronic compliance monitoring.
The reforms also provide for the restructuring of federal tax administration, including the creation of the Nigeria Revenue Service, to strengthen efficiency, coordination and revenue collection across government levels.
While the Federal government has described the reforms as critical to stabilising public finances and funding infrastructure and social services, the laws have generated intense public debate, with some civil society groups and political actors alleging discrepancies between the versions passed by the National Assembly and those later gazetted.
These concerns sparked calls for suspension, re-gazetting and legal action, culminating in the suit dismissed by the Abuja High Court.
Reacting to the judgment, stakeholders described the ruling as a major boost for the reforms, saying it has removed all legal obstacles that could have delayed the implementation of the new tax framework.
Former governor of Anambra State, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has officially defected to the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Obi announced the decision on Tuesday at an event held at the Nike Lake Resort, Enugu.
“We are ending this year with the hope that in 2026 we will begin a rescue journey,” Obi said.
The National Chairman of the ADC, David Mark, was among the attendees.
United States Representative Riley Moors has said further military strikes against Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria could follow recent operations ordered by President Donald Trump, describing the actions as aimed at improving security and protecting Christian communities facing violence.
Moore made the remarks during a televised interview in which he addressed U.S. military strikes carried out on Christmas Day against militant targets in North-west Nigeria.
The strikes were conducted in coordination with the Nigerian government, according to U.S. and Nigerian officials.
“President Trump is not trying to bring war to Nigeria, he’s bringing peace and security to Nigeria and to the thousands of Christians who face horrific violence and death,” Moore said.
He said the Christmas Day strikes against Islamic State affiliates had provided hope to Christians in Nigeria, particularly in areas affected by repeated attacks during past festive periods.
According to U.S. authorities, the strikes targeted camps used by Islamic State-linked groups operating in parts of north-west Nigeria.
Nigerian officials confirmed that the operation was carried out with intelligence support from Nigerian security agencies as part of ongoing counter-terrorism cooperation between both countries.
The United States Africa Command said the operation was intended to degrade the operational capacity of extremist groups responsible for attacks on civilians and security forces.
Nigerian authorities have described the targeted groups as a threat to national security, noting their involvement in killings, kidnappings and raids on rural communities.
Moore said the strikes marked a shift from previous years in which attacks were carried out against civilians during the Christmas period. He said the U.S. administration was focused on preventing further violence by targeting militant groups before they could launch attacks.
U.S. officials have said the military action was carried out with the consent of the Nigerian government and formed part of broader security cooperation between the two countries. Nigeria has received intelligence, training and logistical support from international partners as it seeks to contain militant activity.
Moore had previously called for stronger international attention to attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria and has urged continued U.S. engagement in addressing extremist violence. He said further action would depend on developments on the ground and continued coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Nigerian officials have maintained that counter-terrorism operations are directed at armed groups threatening civilians, regardless of religion, and have reiterated their commitment to restoring security across affected regions.
