Friday brief: With spry-spry grammar, Fani-Kayode defends APC move
+ The VAT war and Abdulrasheed Bawa's collapse
Good morning.
The weekend is upon us. But before you turn up, take this week’s quiz here and stand a chance to win N5,000 worth of NiFries burgers or the cash equivalent. Yeah, just answer the questions and your name gets dropped into the lucky hat.
To today’s business:
Femi Fani-Kayode switches to APC
Femi Fani-Kayode loves God. He might not be the meekest man on earth, but judging by how much the former Minister of Aviation invoked the divine on Thursday, his devotedness to the things of the spirit should never be in question.
Switching parties is common among Nigerian politicians and Fani-Kayode’s move wouldn’t have come as a big surprise to many. But considering how vehemently and callously Fani-Kayode had previously criticised the APC and Buhari administration, it was more of a farcical moment.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today in eloquent English, Fani-Kayode said he has been led by the spirit of God to make the decision.
He also said he had had the opportunity to know President Muhammadu Buhari much better and that the leadership of the APC had improved since he began hurling his criticisms.
Fani-Kayode said a lot of other things (you can watch the full interview here), but I think the takeaway is that the more things change, the more they remain the same.
Flashback: In 2019, Fani-Kayode said he was “committed to opposing the APC and those that are in their ranks for the rest of my natural life and I will NEVER join them no matter what! They are nothing but darkness whilst l stand for the light of God and truth: there can be NO fellowship between light and darkness.”
Comment: An aide to President Buhari, Babafemi Ojudu, alluded that Fani-Kayode’s announcement of his move to APC was “the saddest day of my political career.”
Southern Governors demand VAT for States
After meeting in Enugu on Thursday, Southern Governors expressed their support for states to be able to collect Value Added Tax instead of the federal government.
The matter is still in court, but this kind of political consensus can be a powerful tool in swaying public opinion as calls for each state of the federation to be financially responsible for itself heightens.
Meanwhile, the court of appeal in Abuja on Thursday declined to restrict the Federal Inland Revenue Service from collecting VAT.
Context: Lagos and Rivers have already passed laws that enable their governments to collect VAT, but the FIRS has insisted that it remains the sole collector of the much-coveted tax category.
Bandits deceived us, says Matawalle
Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle says his government backtracked from negotiating with bandits due to deception on the part of the criminals.
“Some of them did not follow what we agreed with them,” he said in Abuja on Thursday after meeting with President Buhari. “We thought it was something we could continue with them, but we later realized that they had deceived us.”
In place of negotiation, the federal government has now intensified an offensive against the bandits in Zamfara and across the North-West.
However, according to Premium Times, armed bandits have continued to carry out attacks in some Zamfara communities, despite the intensified military offensive.
Borno state: About ten soldiers have been reportedly killed in an ambush laid by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.
Related: Lawmakers have asked the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) to shut down telecommunication services in parts of Sokoto state due to insecurity.
What else is happening?
Abdulrasheed Bawa: The EFCC boss appeared to slump after stopping a speech abruptly in Abuja. The EFCC has since said Mr Bawa “is hale and hearty.” In a later television interview on Thursday, Mr Bawa said doctors had told him he was dehydrated.
Friendly Fire: After initially denying its involvement, the Nigerian Air Force has taken responsibility for the bombardment of a Yobe community leading to the death of civilians. The Air Force said it has been targeting Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists.
Sunday Igboho: As he battles extradition in the Republic of Benin, the Yoruba Nation activist has asked his supporters not to stage demonstrations in his name “for the time being.”
Nnamdi Kanu: The IPOB leader has sued Kenya over his extradition to Nigeria.
Benjamin Kalu: The spokesperson of the House of Representatives says the processes to amend the 1999 constitution will be completed within two years.
Rising debt: Nigeria’s public debt rose by N2.36 trillion within three months. As of June 30, the country’s total debt stock stood at N35.47 trillion.
New funding: In another good news for Nigerian startups, health technology platform 54gene has secured $25m in a Series B round.
And that’s about it for this week. Don’t forget to take this week’s quiz here.
See you on Monday.