Headlines
Fowler Out as Buhari Names Muhammad Nami New FIRS Chairman
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday named a tax consultant, Mr Muhammad Nami, as the new chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service.
The appointment came as the tenure of Mr Babatunde Fowler expired.
Buhari, who approved the composition of a new board for the tax agency, asked Fowler to hand over the FIRS’s affairs to the most senior director, pending the confirmation of the new board by the Senate.
“Mr Muhammad, a well-trained tax, accounting and management professional with highly-rated qualifications and professional practice and licences from relevant professional bodies, has almost three decades of practical work experience in auditing, tax management and advisory and management services to clients in the banking, manufacturing, services and public sectors as well as non-profit organisations,” a statement by Buhari’s media aide, Mr Garba Shehu, said on Monday.
The statement added, “He is an expert in rendering advisory support services to investors in respect of new business start-ups and management of existing business.
“He has also continuously rendered outsourced services to clients in trading, service and manufacturing sectors of the nation’s economy.”
The Presidency said Nami graduated from Bayero University, Kano, in 1991 and obtained a Master’s in Business in 2004 from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Buhari had on August 20, 2015, nominated Fowler to chair the FIRS for four-year tenure.
The Senate confirmed his appointment December 9, 2015, a term that ran out officially on December 8.
Fowler on Monday handed over to the Coordinating Director, Domestic Taxes Group at the FIRS, Abiodun Aina, a few hours after his replacement was announced.
A statement issued by the Head, Communications and Servicom Department at the FIRS, Wahab Gbadamosi, said Fowler handed over at 6.39pm inside the boardroom of the agency.
He thanked President Buhari for the privilege given him to serve the nation.
According to him, there is nothing automatic as a second term, noting that change is the only thing that is constant in life.
“There is nothing automatic about having a second term. Some of you might say it’s a big surprise. It is a privileged to serve one’s country. And if you have the privilege of serving your country for one term and you believe you have done your best, you have to thank God for that,” Fowler said.
He also said, “I hope in leaving the FIRS, I’ve left behind something positive that each and every one of you can build on.”
Aina promised to manage the service in an effective manner during the period he would be acting as the FIRS chairman.
He told Fowler, “You have done a lot within the space of four years. You have transformed the FIRS. You have modernised it. There have been a lot of innovations. And under you we have achieved great heights.”
The Supreme Court has vacated the order of the Court of Appeal which barred the recognition of David Mark as the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
The apex court on Thursday held that the preservative order by the Court of Appeal was in bad faith, unnecessary, unwarranted and improper.
In a unanimous judgment of the Supreme Court, Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba held that the Court of Appeal ought not to have made such order because it was not sought by any of the parties in the matter.
The Court of Appeal had issued an order of status quo antem bellum upon which the ADC exco under David Mark was de-recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
With the vacation of the order, David Mark and the other national officers are to be recognized as ADC leaders by the electoral body.
The convention produced the Tanimu Turaki-led factional national executives of the party.
Attention has shifted to the Supreme Court, which has fixed April 30 (today) for judgment in the leadership tussle within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
A five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba will resolve the appeal filed by the David Mark-led faction concerning the authentic leadership of the party.
Also on Thursday, the court is expected to determine the leadership dispute rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Two PDP factions—one led by Kabir Turaki and the other by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike—are laying claim to the leadership of the party.
The Supreme Court had on April 22 reserved judgment in the ADC crisis to a date to be communicated to the parties involved in the tussle.
However, on Tuesday, the ADC formally wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, pleading for the quick delivery of judgment in the leadership tussle at the national level.
The party claimed it would suffer irreparable harm if judgment in the protracted battle was not delivered within the period allowed by the Electoral Act for fielding candidates for the 2027 general elections.
It stated in part: “Without the delivery of judgment within the next three days from the date of this letter, the ADC stands the grave and irreversible risk of being excluded from participating in the 2027 general elections.
“This would disenfranchise millions of Nigerians who have subscribed to the ideals of the ADC and deny them their constitutional right to freely associate and contest elections through a political party of their choice.”
At the April 22 hearing, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, who represented David Mark, urged the Supreme Court to allow the appeal, arguing that the apex court had earlier, on March 21, 2025, held that “no court has jurisdiction to entertain matters bordering on the internal affairs of political parties.”
During the hearing, Okutepa urged the apex court to hold that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit.
However, Robert Emukperu, SAN, who represented the first respondent, Nafiu Gombe, urged the court to dismiss the appeal and affirm the judgment of the lower court, which held that the suit was premature.
It will be recalled that a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal dismissed Mark’s appeal, ruling that it was premature and filed without leave of the trial court.
In the PDP matter, the first appeal, marked SC/CV/164/2026, stems from a decision of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who restrained the party from proceeding with its planned convention pending the determination of a suit filed by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido.
On November 14, the court issued a final order restraining the PDP from conducting its national convention.
Justice Lifu held that Lamido was “unjustly denied” the opportunity to obtain a nomination form to contest for national chairman, in violation of the PDP constitution and internal regulations.
The Court of Appeal later upheld the decision on March 9, prompting the PDP to appeal.
The second appeal, SC/CV/166/2026, was filed by the PDP, its National Working Committee (NWC), and National Executive Committee (NEC).
It arose from a judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho, which stopped the party from holding its Ibadan national convention.
The Court of Appeal upheld that decision, agreeing that INEC should not validate the outcome of the convention.
After hearing all arguments, the Supreme Court reserved judgment, stating that the date would be communicated to the parties.
