Fresh cracks have emerged within the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) as some of its top figures continue to insist that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf should serve only one term in office, a position that has fueled defections and internal discord.

Commissioner for Livestock Development, Aliyu Isa Aliyu, took to his verified Facebook page to clarify the situation, stressing that the party’s leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has never in any of his public speeches accused Governor Yusuf of underperforming or failing to deliver on his mandate to the people of Kano.

Aliyu explained that the growing wave of defections from the NNPP is not rooted in governance failures but rather in personal grievances and unmet expectations among certain party members. He outlined categories of individuals who have chosen to remain in the NNPP but are not aligned with Governor Yusuf’s administration:

– Patronage seekers: Those who expected unrestricted access to the state treasury and the freedom to act without limits, and who have for over two years insisted the Governor should serve only one term.
– Underperforming appointees: Individuals appointed to positions but who lacked the capacity to deliver on their responsibilities, and now feel sidelined by the Governor.
– Disenchanted beneficiaries: Party members who believe they did not personally benefit from the government’s programs or appointments.
– Ambitious aspirants: Politicians eyeing seats in the State Assembly, House of Representatives, or Senate who fear their ambitions may be jeopardized if they align with the Governor, especially in constituencies where sitting legislators have defected from the NNPP.
– Position challengers: Those who question why certain individuals, such as Aliyu himself and others, occupy government positions instead of them.

Aliyu’s remarks explain the widening rift within the NNPP, where loyalty to Governor Yusuf is being tested by political ambitions and personal interests rather than policy disagreements.

Despite the turbulence, Governor Yusuf continues to enjoy the backing of Kwankwaso, who has remained silent on calls for a one-term limit and has not publicly criticized the Governor’s performance. Political observers note that the unfolding drama could reshape Kano’s political landscape ahead of the next election cycle, as defections and internal disputes threaten the NNPP’s cohesion.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has reaffirmed his commitment to his political ideals, declaring that he would not compromise his principles for personal gain.

His remarks came amid a report that Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, alongside several local government chairmen, some members of the House of Representatives and aides, resigned from the NNPP.

Addressing party supporters at his residence in Kano shortly after the governor’s resignation on Friday, Kwankwaso said his long-standing political struggle had always been aimed at the emancipation of ordinary Nigerians.

“I’m not for sale. Our political convictions keep me grounded. If I were in it for personal gain, I would have taken the easy route and you would be looking for me elsewhere, not in this place,” he said.

He noted that the Kwankwasiyya Movement had been sustained by shared values rather than material incentives.

“Our shared vision is what keeps me going. If I were motivated by greed, I would have taken the money and run, and you would not be here showing your support,” he added.

Kwankwaso also urged his supporters to begin early mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections, cautioning against complacency.

“We need people like you who have sacrificed and stood by the truth. You should not relent, because one day, we will achieve our objectives,” he said.

Speaking on recent developments in Kano, the former presidential candidate stressed the need for immediate preparations.

“Going by what is happening in Kano today, we need to start preparing because there are people hell-bent on destroying what we built over time,” he stated.

Reaffirming his position, Kwankwaso assured his supporters of his resolve to remain steadfast.

“My mission is to always fight for the ordinary people. I will not compromise with those who exploit the masses,” he said.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The House of Representatives has confirmed that there is an illegal alteration of Nigeria’s newly gazetted tax reform laws.

The House Minority Caucus Ad-hoc Committee probing alleged alteration of the tax reform laws reported evidence of unauthorized changes to some of the tax reform laws recently passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.

In an interim report released on Friday, the committee said its findings showed clear discrepancies between the versions of the tax laws approved by lawmakers and those later published in the official gazette.

According to the panel, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025, contained the most significant alterations.

The probe followed public concern triggered by a motion raised on the floor of the House by Abdulsamad Dasuki, who warned that versions of the tax laws in circulation differed from what legislators had approved.

In response, the Minority Caucus, in a statement issued on December 28, 2025, pledged to safeguard the autonomy of the legislature and cautioned that the circulation of “fake laws” posed a direct threat to constitutional democracy.

Acting on that commitment, the caucus, under the leadership of Kingsley Chinda, set up a seven-member fact-finding committee on January 2, 2026.

The panel is chaired by Victor Ogene, with members Aliyu Garu (Bauchi), Stanley Adedeji (Oyo), Ibe Osonwa (Abia), Marie Ebikake (Bayelsa), Shehu Fagge (Kano), and Gaza Gbefwi Jonathan (Nasarawa).

A day later, the House, through its spokesman Akin Rotimi, announced that Speaker Tajudeen Abbas had ordered the release of certified copies of the four tax reform Acts signed by the President to enable public scrutiny.

The laws are the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025; and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025.

The committee, in its preliminary assessment, said that a side-by-side review of the certified copies and the gazetted documents confirmed Dasuki’s claims.

“There were some alterations as alleged, especially in the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025.

“There were three different versions of the documents in circulation, particularly the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025,” the committee stated.

The report, signed by Ogene, noted that multiple versions of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025, were in circulation, raising questions about the integrity of the legislative process.

The panel argued that instructions to “align” the Acts with the Federal Government Printing Press suggested serious procedural lapses.

The committee added that the published version of the laws unlawfully intruded into the constitutional authority of the National Assembly.

According to the committee, there was “a clear indication that there were procedural anomalies in the previously gazetted version that illegally encroached on the core mandate of the National Assembly.”

Highlighting specific concerns, the committee said Section 29(1) on reporting thresholds had been altered.

While the version passed by lawmakers set thresholds at N50 million for individuals and N100 million for companies, the gazetted text reportedly reduced the individual threshold to N25 million, a move the committee described as an attempt to widen the tax net through executive interference.

The committee also criticised the insertion of new subsections 41(8) and 41(9), which mandate a 20 per cent deposit of disputed tax liabilities before appeals can be taken from the Tax Appeal Tribunal to the High Court.

The committee noted that these provisions were absent from the version approved by the legislature.

According to the report, Section 64 of the gazetted Act further expanded the enforcement powers of tax authorities, allowing arrests through law enforcement agencies and the sale of seized assets without court authorisation, powers not contained in the original Act.

The committee also flagged changes to Section 3(1)(b), where petroleum income tax and VAT were reportedly removed from the definition of federal taxes, and to Section 39(3), which now mandates tax computation for petroleum operations in U.S. dollars rather than “the currency of the transaction,” as originally passed.

Beyond the Tax Administration Act, the panel raised alarms over the Nigerian Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, saying provisions on National Assembly oversight, particularly Sections 30(1)(d) and 30(3), were deleted in the gazetted version.

The committee said these omissions stripped the legislature of mechanisms for summons, reporting, and accountability, undermining the principle of checks and balances.

The House is expected to deliberate on the interim findings and consider further actions to rectify the published laws and prevent future alterations.