Get Guardian on Google• Kwankwaso says president delaying tax collection due to 2027 election
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, has lamented that Nigeria ranks among the most terrorised countries in the world and challenged President Bola Tinubu to disclose how many citizens his administration has pulled out of poverty and hunger.
In a post on X, the former Anambra State governor told the president to account for how well the country has been secured under his watch, noting that Nigerians deserve to know what has been done with the resources entrusted to his government.
Meanwhile, the NDC vice presidential candidate, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, has expressed regrets over not forming an alliance with Obi in the 2023 general election, saying that their joint ticket could have defeated the All Progressives Congress (APC) in that election.
Kwankwaso spoke in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, over the weekend while addressing party supporters, adding that he did not truly understand Obi until now.
ACCORDING to Obi, “Nigerians deserve to know how many were pulled out of poverty within this period, how many out-of-school children were returned to school, and how many functional primary healthcare centres you have built.
“They deserve an explanation of how you have secured the country, which still ranks among the most terrorised countries in the world.”
Berating Tinubu’s “over 260 days outside Nigeria since coming into office,” Obi said Nigerians “also deserve to know how much electricity supply has improved, especially given your promise that if you do not fix power, Nigerians should not vote for you.”
NEVERTHELESS, the former Kano State governor described their alliance ahead of the 2027 general election as a turning point for national development.
Moreover, Kwankwaso alleged that President Tinubu’s administration delayed the collection of taxes under the newly enacted tax laws for fear of losing the 2027 general election.
He claimed that though the tax reform bills had been passed into law, the federal government was reluctant to implement them because of concerns over the possible political consequences ahead of the elections.
He warned that Nigerians could face increased taxes if the ruling party secures another electoral mandate in 2027, adding: “As soon as they get a second chance, God forbid, Nigerians will suffer from different kinds of tax collection.
“They will start going from house to house, checking even under your bed to collect taxes. The worst part of it is that the session for the approval of the tax bill was chaired by one of us from Kano. Even the Senate President intentionally refused to attend because he did not want to be part of it.”
However, urging Nigerians not to give the APC a second chance, and warning that its re-election in 2023 was already jeopardising the future of the country, Kwankwaso said the “NDC is there for Nigerians. When you give us your mandate, we will cancel all such unnecessary taxes; we will provide quality education and sponsor your child’s education.”
