Seeks probe of ‘fraudulent alteration’ of tax laws
The National Working Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has ratified the dissolution of some State Working Committees (SWCs), while confirming the constitution of caretaker committees to oversee party affairs in the affected states.
The dissolved SWCs are those of Borno, Bauchi, Oyo, Zamfara, Yobe, Ekiti, Bayelsa, Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra, Delta, Taraba, Kano and Lagos states.
It declared that the party remains “strong, united and indivisible,” insisting that there is only one legitimate PDP leadership under the chairmanship of Abdulrahman Mohammed.
The party called for an urgent and comprehensive investigation into the alleged fraudulent alteration of Nigeria’s tax laws, warning that the development poses a grave threat to legislative integrity and democratic governance.
Rising from its meeting yesterday, the committee issued a communiqué in Abuja, dismissing claims in some quarters that parallel party executives had been recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Reading the resolutions, the committee warned individuals and groups “bent on bringing the image of the party into disrepute” to desist forthwith, stressing that reports suggesting that an “illegal” executive loyal to Tanimu Turaki had been accepted by INEC were false.
“The claims making the rounds in the media that the Turaki illegal executives have been accepted by INEC are untrue,” the committee said, challenging Turaki to produce “the code with which he uploaded his executives to the INEC portal.”
In a move aimed at strengthening internal administration, the committee also assigned portfolios to some of its members.
Professor Adenike Ogunse was named Women Leader; Deji Doherty, Deputy National Secretary; Sen Olaka Ogunwu, Treasurer; Jungu Mohammed, Publicity Secretary; while Dr Ibrahim Bala-Aboki was assigned to function as Youth Leader.
The committee approved a calendar for the conduct of state congresses, scheduled to commence on January 9, 2026.
It noted that the date for the national convention would be fixed only after the successful conclusion of the state congresses, adding that a detailed timetable would be released in due course.
In his opening remarks, the Acting Chairman, Mohammed, thanked the leadership of the party, the Board of Trustees (BoT) and the party’s leader, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for entrusting the committee with a 60-day mandate to oversee party affairs.
Mohammed stated that the caretaker committee was committed to ensuring that the PDP’s activities across the federation were conducted in accordance with the party’s constitution and the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“I use this opportunity to call the attention of the public who may be hearing and seeing gatherings and meetings here and there. We have only one PDP under my leadership and my team as the caretaker committee of our great party,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a press statement entitled ‘PC/Tinubu Administration: The Normalisation of Absurdity’, signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the opposition party expressed deep concern over reported discrepancies between the version of the Tax Act passed by the National Assembly and the copy subsequently gazetted.
The PDP said the issue was brought to public attention by a member of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki, whose intervention, it noted, raised troubling questions about how “insertions and substitutions” allegedly found their way into the gazetted law without parliamentary approval.
According to the party, such an act, if proven, would amount to a criminal subversion of the legislative process and could severely erode public confidence in laws enacted by elected representatives.
It warned the leadership of the House of Representatives against treating the matter with levity or attempting to “sweep it under the carpet,” as it alleged had happened with reports that the country was operating multiple budgets within a single fiscal year.
The PDP consequently demanded that the commencement date of the new Tax Act, scheduled for January 1, 2026, be shifted by at least six months to allow for a full investigation of the alleged anomaly, the publication and wide circulation of the authentic enacted version, and extensive public enlightenment on the provisions of the law.
Beyond the tax controversy, the PDP used the statement to criticise what it described as Nigeria’s declining regional and global standing under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government.
It cited recent diplomatic embarrassments, including the detention of Nigerian Air Force (NAF) personnel in Burkina Faso and the imposition of stricter visa restrictions on Nigerians by the United States, which it linked to rising insecurity and poor governance.
The party also faulted Tinubu’s absence at the 68th Ordinary Meeting of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government held in Abuja, despite Nigeria being the host nation, arguing that such actions project a lack of seriousness about regional leadership and stability.
