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Akpabio Accused of Ordering Clerk of the Senate House to Hide Signed Tax Law

Published

2 months ago

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives have accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of ordering the Clerk of the National Assembly to hide certified copies of the tax reform bill transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent, which was subsequently signed into law.

According to Peoples Gazette, two senators and four members of the House of Representatives said that the embargo placed on the certified copies of the tax reform bill by Akpabio has deepened suspicion and internal wrangling within the legislature, as lawmakers who requested copies of the assented bill were denied access allegedly on the order of the Senate President.

The legislators reportedly said the document was required to confirm that the version signed into law by the president was identical to the certified true copy passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The controversy was triggered by allegations raised by a House of Representatives member, Abdulsammad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto State), who claimed that the tax laws available to the public differed from the versions passed by the National Assembly.

Raising a Point of Privilege under Order Six, Rule Two of the House Rules, Mr Dasuki told the House that his legislative rights had been breached, insisting that the content of the gazetted tax laws did not reflect what lawmakers debated, voted on and approved during plenary.

He said that after the passage of the tax bill, he spent three days reviewing the gazetted copies alongside the Votes and Proceedings of the House and the harmonised versions adopted by both chambers.

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“I was here, I gave my vote and it was counted, and I am seeing something completely different,” The Gazette quoted Dasuki as saying.

Dasuki added that copies of the gazetted laws obtained from the Ministry of Information did not match the versions approved by the House and the Senate.

The lawmaker stressed that his intervention was not aimed at moving a motion but at alerting the House to what he described as a serious breach of the legislative process and the constitution.

Following the allegation, several lawmakers reportedly formally requested copies of the signed law to compare it with the version debated and approved during plenary sessions.

The Gazette reports that it had seen a certified true copy of the tax bill as passed by the National Assembly, a development that has further raised questions about why the leadership would place an embargo on the assented version of the law.

However, as of the time of filing this report, neither Akpabio, the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly, nor Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, had commented on the matter.

But lawmakers said that officials in the Office of the Clerk informed them that they were acting on the instruction of Akpabio, who allegedly ordered that no copy of the assented tax law should be released to any legislator, according to The Gazette.

“What is unfolding before us is an attempt to subvert our nascent democracy, and we want Nigerian compatriots of good conscience to help us in this fight,” The Gazette quoted a ruling party senator as saying on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

“I have personally approached the clerk’s office four times over the past week to ask for the certified documents but they keep saying the SP told them not to release them to anyone,” the senator added.

A member of the House of Representatives from Oyo State also described the situation as troubling, expressing disappointment over Speaker Abbas’ handling of the issue.

“This is supposed to be handled with the urgency and sensitivity it deserves,” the lawmaker said, adding, “But we have decided to punt this chaos into the new year even as it appears the administration may not scrap the January 1 implementation of the so-called law.”

Lawmakers said the content of the gazetted document has become central to the dispute, noting that access to the assented copy was critical to determining whether any alterations were made to the bill between its passage by the legislature and assent by the president.

They warned that withholding the document undermined legislative oversight and eroded trust within parliament.

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Group warns Kwankwaso Against Using Social Media Handlers To undermine security and public order in Kano .

Published

6 hours ago

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February 25, 2026

By

Kwankwaso

 

The Kano Peace Coalition Group, has uncovered a report on how the Leader of Kwankwasiyya Movement, Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, allegedly manipulate Youth groups to create uncertainty and chaos in the ancient City of Kano.

The State Coordinator of the Group, Datti Datti Tukur, said in a release, Tuesday, that the Youth’s who are members of Kwankwasiyya Movement from the branches of the Social Media, have recently taken on their accounts attacking prominent political figures including the state Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, Abdullahi U GANDUJE and anyone that disagrees with his self serving political philosophy.
The group specifically singled out a case in which the Kwankwasiyya handlers degnirated the personality of Gov Yusuf depicting him in female attires wearing makeup.

Datti further added that, One of the characters involved in these atrocities was Abba Ibrahim Hussain aka Aiha, a notorious cyber stalker allegedly on the payroll of KWANKWASO.

“Available record shows that Hussain has been charged to a Magistrate Court 47 Zungeru Road, and reminded in Prison on 23 February 2026 for the offences of Cyber Bullying, Stalking and inciting public disturbances” by the DSS kano command.

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Similarly the Group also cited a case of one Abdulmajid Danbilki Kwamanda who was cautioned in the past by the security operatives for allegedly being used by Kwankwaso to denigrate the character of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and creat tension in the state.

The group further added that “Despite clear facts against him, Danbilki was neither detained nor harassed by the security Agency”.

They said, reports available to them, also identified one Samir Sani Hanga, Son of the Senator representing Kano Central, Sani Hanga, who was also accused of Cyber Bullying and Staking but cautioned by the security to desist from such criminal behavior in the presence of his father.

“Investigation also uncovered the involvement of one Abdullahi Aminu Warkal, another Kwankwasiyya social media handler who was alleged to have been harassed by the Security operatives.

“Report however indicated that Warkal was invited by the security agency to explain how he defrauded the government of N10 Million.

The Coordinator, appealed to Amnesty International who was said to have issued a statement alleging harassment of Political opponents in Kano to verify every claim with the spirit of fairness and professionalism before taking stand to avoid compromising the group’s reputation and credibility.

“That as a respected INGO, Amnesty International should not allow itself to be compromised by anybody but including KWANKWASO.”
The need to investigate and verify claims before rushing to the press is sacrosanct and complementary to the efforts of security agencies towards eradicating the menace of cyber bullying and disrespect for constituted authority.

He said, “Kano is a respected State with People of dignity, integrity and religious consciousness. No one will be happy to see some misguided individuals sponsored to disrespect elders and leaders. The Amnesty International should look at the issues of cyber bullying, stalking and incitement that clearly violates the law.

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President Tinubu Decorates Disu as New IGP

Published

13 hours ago

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February 25, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has decorated the newly appointed Acting Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, with his new rank at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The decoration took place during the swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday and attended by top government officials and some family members of the new acting IGP.

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With the swearing-in, the Acting IGP, Disu becomes Nigeria’s 23rd Inspector-General of Police.

His appointment follows the resignation of the former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.

The Presidency linked Egbetokun’s resignation to pressing family considerations.

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BREAKING: DSS Stalls Own Case Against El-Rufai, Claims Ex-Governor Not in Their Custody

Published

19 hours ago

on

February 25, 2026

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

A Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the scheduled arraignment of Nasir el-Rufai, a former governor of Kaduna State, until April 23.

Mr. el-Rufai is facing a three-count charge brought by the Department of State Services (DSS) related to the alleged unlawful interception of a telephone conversation. The charges stem from comments the former governor made during a television interview.

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The court had initially set Wednesday, February 25, for his arraignment. However, during Wednesday’s proceedings, Mr. el-Rufai was not produced in court.

Oluwole Aladedoyin, counsel for the prosecution, informed the court that the former governor is currently being detained by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in connection with a separate matter.

“Unfortunately, the defendant is with the ICPC, and I do not know how far the investigation with the ICPC has gone,” Mr. Aladedoyin explained to the court.

The charges against the former governor pertain to an alleged breach of the Cybercrimes Act.

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