Connect with us

General

Coalition Tasks Nigerians to Vote En Masse in 2023 General Elections

Published

on

coalition 2023 general elections

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM), Centre for 21st Century Issues (C21ST), and Campaign for Dignity in Governance have jointly tasked Nigerians to go out and vote peacefully and orderly in the 2023 general elections on Saturday, February 25.

In a statement made available to Business Post on Wednesday, the coalition urged Nigerians to vote for candidates of their choice to consolidate democracy for the continued progress and prosperity of Nigeria.

Signed by Mr Nelson Ekujumi for CPPM, MrsTitilope Akosa for C21ST, and Mr Razaq Olokoba for Campaign for Dignity in Governance, the message tasked that amid the current hardships experienced in the country, Nigerians must remain brave and carry out their civic responsibilities.

The message read, “As Nigerians and the global community await the conduct and outcomes of the 2023 Presidential/National Assembly and Governorship/State Houses of Assembly Elections scheduled for Saturday 25th of February 2023 and Saturday 11th March 2023 respectively, the aforementioned civil society organizations urge eligible Nigerians to participate fully in the exercise in a peaceful and orderly manner.”

“Our appeal to Nigerians is predicated on our responsibility as societal watchdogs and democrats desirous of deepening democracy through advocacy for the active participation of citizens in the electoral process.

“We are not unaware of the excruciating pains and discomfort occasioned by the implementation of the Naira redesign policy, but call on Nigerians not to despair or be weary but to remain calm and peaceful with abiding faith in democracy.  We encourage Nigerians to be hopeful that there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel.

“We urge Nigerians to continue to persevere and not pander to the antics of undemocratic elements whose motive is to take advantage of the prevailing situation to lure citizens to violence which could truncate the democratic process. We earnestly admonish Nigerians to be committed to sustaining the momentum of democratic participation for the collective good of the society, no matter the provocation.

“We are hereby using this medium to appeal to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ameliorate the sufferings of the people in line with Mr President’s directive by making the various denominations of the new naira notes adequate and available at the commercial banks and other cash dispensing outlets to ease the untold pains and anguish which individuals and businesses have been subjected in the last couple of weeks.

“We must warn that the hardship occasioned by the prevailing cash crunch should not be allowed to undermine the successful conduct of the 2023 general elections.

“Notwithstanding, considering that Nigeria operates a constitutional democracy which makes the Rule of Law Supreme,  we fully align with the February 8, 2023, and February 15, 2023 rulings of the Supreme Court, which extended the validity of the old N200, N500 and N1000 naira notes as legal tender till the next adjourned date of 22nd February 2023.

“We demand that the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) immediately comply with the ruling of the Supreme Court in the interest of peace and observance of the Rule of Law, which is sacrosanct in a democracy.

We commend the Federal Government and the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for the gradual restoration of normalcy in the distribution chain of petroleum products, which has manifested in the reduction of queues at petrol stations across the country.

“While we recognize the huge gaps in compliance on the sale of petrol at official pump prices across the country, we call on NNPCL to ensure strict compliance with official pump prices and to put an end to the queues at filling stations ahead of the polls and beyond.”

It also tasked the electoral body to ensure that it does all that was necessary and continue its track record that was witnessed last year in Ekiti and Osun states.

“We call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to remain resolute, focused and committed to conducting free, fair, and credible polls in line with the capacity already demonstrated in the conduct of recent off-season elections in Ekiti and Osun states.

“We recognize that anti-democratic elements are not relenting in their campaign of blackmail and calumny against the Electoral Body. But we are confident that the 2023 General Election will be credible and successful.

“We also wish to encourage security agencies to be professional and unbiased in the discharge of their functions as critical stakeholders in the electoral process. We admonish security agencies to raise the bar of professionalism and dedication to duty to arrest any threat to the peaceful and successful conduct of the 2023 general elections.”

“However, we must warn that anti-democratic elements hell-bent on undermining the successful conduct of the elections and public peace through fake news incitement of violence before, during and after the election are on the prowl and must be met with the full weight of the law. It has therefore become imperative to bring to the attention of security agencies’ plots to incite violence on Election Day, as witnessed during the 2020 EndSARS protests.

“We appeal to the media as partners in progress to be professional and objective in their coverage and reportage for a successful and credible 2023 general elections.

“We call on the observers, both local and international, to maintain a high degree of neutrality and professionalism in the exercise of their functions in line with their oath and global best practices.

“We, once again, call on all eligible voters to come out en masse to vote and remain calm, orderly and peaceful before, during, and after the elections.”

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

General

Dangote Refinery Commences Free Delivery of PMS January 2026

Published

on

dangote pms delivery

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The free delivery of premium motor spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol, across the country by the Dangote Petroleum Refinery will finally begin in January 2026. This was earlier scheduled for August 2025

This move, according to the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), will bring down the price of the product in Nigeria.

The group has, therefore, urged all its members nationwide to patronise the Lagos-based private oil facility because it offers the best affordable price for all marketers.

Dangote Refinery has agreed to directly supply PMS to registered members of IPMAN, according to a statement signed and issued by the organisation’s president, Mr Abubakar Maigandi Shettima.

At a press conference held in Abuja yesterday on recent happenings in the oil and gas sector, IPMAN also applauded the support of the Chairman of Dangote Petroleum Refinery, Mr Aliko Dangote towards the federal government, which it noted has become evident in the regular reduction of the petroleum pump price.

“The association has the highest percentage of the supply chain of the PMS downstream sector, controlling over 80 per cent of the petrol retail market. We therefore declare that there will be no gap or scarcity in PMS supply to Nigerians.

“We are also excited at the recent agreement by the Dangote Refinery to begin the supply of PMS products directly to registered IPMAN members, and its free delivery to our filling stations anywhere and everywhere in Nigeria which will commence in January 2026.

“This will again, certainly lead to further decrease in the pump price of the products at our filing stations.

“Therefore, I am calling on all IPMAN members nationwide to prioritise patronising the Dangote Refinery in their purchase of PMS products, as they already offer the best affordable prize for all marketers today,” the group stated.

“At IPMAN we have no doubt as to the viability of the oil and gas policies being initiated by the federal government, and we have ceaselessly called and sought for enhanced cooperation across all levels of governance in the oil and gas sector. Hence, our repeated persuasion to always partner the Dangote refinery, to ensure the steady availability of PMS products.

“The focus of the Dangote & IPMAN partnership, has always been geared towards making life better for Nigerians. And of course, this blooming partnership would never have been possible without the pragmatic leadership of President Bola Tinubu, and his sound judgment in readjusting the leadership of the NMDPRA and the NUPRC.

“Our position has always been to deepen domestic refining in order to eradicate imports of petroleum products. Continuous import is NOT an acceptable parallel business model, because issuing import licenses recklessly distorts market dynamics, drains foreign exchange, enthrones poverty, destroys jobs, and scares potential investors away,” Mr Shettima was quoted as saying in the statement.

Continue Reading

General

Swedfund Puts Down $20m for Green Business Growth in Africa

Published

on

Green Business Growth

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

About $20 million has been put down by Swedfund to support efforts that limit climate change in Africa and help communities adapt to its effects.

The funds would be deployed by the Helios Climate, Energy, Adaptation and Resilience (CLEAR) Fund to back African companies that reduce emissions, strengthen resilience and create green jobs.

Swedfund’s investment is expected to contribute to significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions and to help businesses and small farmers adapt to a changing climate.

The investment strengthens Swedfund’s work to drive a sustainable and inclusive green transition in Africa.

Africa contributes less than 3 per cent of global carbon emissions but faces some of the most severe climate impacts. At the same time, the continent’s energy demand is expected to triple by 2050.

Swedfund’s investment in Helios CLEAR will help channel capital to businesses that drive low-carbon growth in areas such as renewable energy, sustainable transport, climate-smart farming, efficient use of resources and digital climate solutions.

“By investing in this sector, we can reduce emissions, build resilience and create green jobs, all vital for sustainable growth that benefits more people.

“Africa currently receives only a small share of global climate investment, yet the potential for climate-smart business is enormous.

“Through Helios CLEAR we help build the next generation of African climate-focused businesses,” the Investment Director for Energy and Climate at Swedfund, Ms Gunilla Nilsson, stated.

Helios CLEAR Fund is a Pan African growth equity fund managed by Helios Investment Partners, one of Africa’s leading private equity firms.

The fund targets investments that deliver measurable climate mitigation and adaptation outcomes. The fund is supported by multiple development finance institutions.

Continue Reading

General

Lawmaker Alleges Alterations in Gazetted Tax Laws

Published

on

Abdussamad Dasuki

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A member of the House of Representatives, Mr Abdussamad Dasuki, has alleged that the gazetted tax laws are different from the ones passed by the National Assembly.

Speaking on Wednesday during plenary at the green chamber, the opposition lawmaker the emphasised that content of the tax laws as gazetted was not what members of the parliament debated, voted on and passed.

In June 2025, President Bola Tinubu signed the four tax reform bills into law, becoming an act. The new laws are the Nigeria Tax Act (NTA), 2025, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act (NTAA), 2025, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act (NRSEA), 2025, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act (JRBEA), 2025.

In September, they were gazetted by the federal government.

On the floor of the House yesterday, presided over by the Speaker, Mr Tajudeed Abbas, Mr Dasuki, while raising a matter of privilege, after reviewing the gazetted law and what was passed, he found out some discrepancies, appealing to the Speaker to ensure that all relevant documents, including the harmonised versions, the votes and proceedings of both chambers, and the gazetted copies currently in circulation, are brought before the Committee of the Whole for scrutiny by all members.

He warned that allowing laws different from those duly passed by the National Assembly to be presented to Nigerians would undermine the integrity of the legislature and violate constitutional provisions.

“Mr. Speaker, I will be pleading that all the documents should be brought before the Committee of the Whole.

“The whole members should see what is in the gazetted copy and see what they passed on the floor so that we can make the relevant amendment. Mr Speaker, this is the breach of the Constitution.

“This is the breach of our laws, and this should not be taken by this House,” Mr Dasuki said when rising under Order Six, Rule Two of the House Rules on a Point of Privilege.

In his remarks, Mr Abbas promised that the parliament would look into the matter.

Continue Reading

Trending