COVER
PDP Accuses APC of Fraud over N3trn Petrol Subsidy

Says Ruling Party padded figure for 2023 War-chest
.Demands Full Disclosure of Specifics of Subsidy Template
.Urges NASS to Reject Budget Amendment
By Jude Opara, Abuja
As the Federal Government disclosed a N3trillion expenditure to meet up with the funding need of its proposed 18 months fuel subsidy retention and an impending request on the legislature for amendment of the 2022 Appropriation Act and the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) for the subsidy capture in the 2022 Budget and PIA, the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the National Assembly to reject any amendments request from the Federal Government on the 2022 Appropriation Act regarding the N2.
557trillion addition for fuel subsidy, alleging that the APC-led government padded the figure because of its need for 2023 general elections war- chest.The PDP’s national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, disclosed this in a statement late Thursday titled, “2023: PDP exposes APC, FG over N3 trillion fuel subsidy scam.”
According to Ologunagba, “While the PDP is not against subsidising petroleum products for Nigerians, our party rejects this wicked plot by the APC government to use a heavily padded fuel subsidy claims to surreptitiously funnel trillions of naira into the pockets of corrupt APC leaders and their cronies in government ahead of their exit in 2023.
“The PDP demands full disclosure of specifics of the subsidy templates, including details of the cost of importation of petroleum products into the country to warrant the additional N2.557tn being requested by the corrupt APC administration.
“The PDP calls on the National Assembly to stand with the people and reject the scandalous N2.557tn addition for fuel subsidy at this critical time as approving such would be a great and unpardonable disservice to Nigerians.”
The main opposition party claimed it has information of how APC leaders pushed for the additional N2.557tn to the N443bn already approved for fuel subsidy in the 2022 budget to create a surplus as a slush fund for APC leaders to rig the 2023 elections.
It said the APC government cannot justify the proposed increase in fuel subsidy in the face of incontrovertible evidence of slowing economy and consequential decrease in consumption of petroleum products in Nigeria primarily due to the “rudderless, irresponsible and insensitive economic policies of the APC as well as the adverse effect of the Covid-19 pandemic.”
It further warned that Nigerians have already noted that the proposed increase is consistent with APC’s typical padding of fuel subsidy ahead of every election cycle.
“Is it not revealing that while fuel subsidy was N24bn in 2016 and rose to N144.53bn in 2017, it spiked to N878bn in 2018 ahead of the 2019 elections; remained at N551.22bn in the election year of 2019, only to drop to N102bn in 2020, after the elections?
“It is clear that the APC increased fuel subsidy to N1.4tn in 2021. It now barefacedly seeks an additional N2.557tn to have a cumulative subsidy bill of N3tn in 2022 to prosecute the 2023 elections, having realised that it has a tough battle with Nigerians because of its monumental failures.
“It is even more disturbing that the proposed increase is to be funded through external borrowings, which will further impoverish Nigerians, mortgage the future of our nation and burden future generations of Nigerians to finance the insatiable greed of APC leaders,” the statement added.
The PDP said it rejects the bandying of “heavily doctored figures” by the APC government.
It tasked the APC to present the details of importation costs to Nigerians, saying no genuine pricing template can support such criminal increase in fuel subsidy beyond the appropriate pricing that experts posit cannot be above N500billion.
COVER
Atiku Re-echoes Coalition Move Towards 2027, Confident of Success

By David Torough, Abuja
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has revealed plans for a major political coalition involving the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Labour Party (LP) to confront what he described as the ‘incompetent and inefficient’ government of President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku made the announcement, while addressing a delegation of stakeholders from the Kogi East Senatorial Zone, led by former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Simon Achuba, in Abuja. He said he was deeply concerned over the country’s worsening security crisis, blaming the Tinubu administration for its lack of political will to address the issue.Atiku recounted his experience as Vice President during the early days of the Boko Haram insurgency, highlighting how decisive leadership under his administration had temporarily quelled the threat.He stated, “How can leaders remain indifferent while their citizens are being killed? Such apathy is the height of irresponsibility for any political leader, anywhere.“I hold our current leadership accountable for the widespread insecurity plaguing our nation. There is a lack of political will.“Let me remind you of when Boko Haram first emerged in 2002, during our time in office. The president summoned me and asked, ‘Mr Vice President, what should we do about this?’ It began in Yobe. I advised him to call the service chiefs and set a clear deadline: if they couldn’t quell the insurgency, they should resign.“The president summoned the service chiefs, I was present, and issued firm orders. Within weeks, the insurgents in Yobe were subdued, and the threat did not resurface until after we left office.”Atiku also criticized the government’s under-policing strategy, suggesting that unemployed graduates be recruited into the police force to address the security manpower deficit.“We are under-policed. There are not enough police officers in this country, while many educated individuals remain unemployed. Why not recruit them into the police force?” he asked.He emphasized the need for a united front against the current administration, stating, “We are forming a coalition, all major political parties, including the APC, the PDP, and the Labour Party, are involved. This is the only way forward to confront such an incompetent and inefficient government. I assure you of my understanding and full support.”Simon Achuba, who led the delegation, echoed Atiku’s concerns, lamenting the rampant violence, kidnappings, and destruction of communities in the North.He accused the federal government of failing in its constitutional duty to ensure peace and security, urging northern leaders to step up and foster unity within the region.“Unfortunately, the government is doing little to alleviate this crisis, and it is their responsibility, sir. It is the government’s duty to ensure peace and order in our communities.“Yet, in a situation where the government fails to take adequate action, I believe, we believe, that northern leadership must step up,” Achuba said, calling for internal healing and brotherhood among northerners.COVER
National Census Long Overdue, Now Embarrassment, says Akpabio

By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has said that Nigeria was long overdue for a national census, adding that the exercise would assist the country in national planning.Akpabio made the remarks while playing host to members and management of the National Population Commission(NPC) who visited him in his office to update him on the preparation for the next Census for the country.
Akpabio told his guests: “I don’t want to call it a national disgrace but can I say it’s a national embarrassment that even Nigerians who go outside to represent us in different fora do not know the number of Nigerians. ”Sometimes you will go to some places and they will say 250 million Nigerians. At another place, they will say you people are over 270 million. Some African countries think we are over 300 million.”If you go to places where they are holding retreat now, they are now shrinking from 250 million to 220 million. I think it’s time to bring that confusion to an end.”Any country that fails to know its population has already started to fail in its planning. You cannot truly plan for the future if you don’t know the number of mouths you want to feed. You do not know the number of children that you want to put in schools. You can’t know the number of classroom blocks you will build.”We must plan. Any country that does not plan for its future has already accepted failure. We will be failing the future generation of Nigerians if we do not begin to plan for the future and start the planning of this Census. This Census is important so that we know how many people we are planning for.”Akpabio assured members of the NPC that the National Assembly would support the Commission to succeed.”It is very important that we support you. The National Assembly will support you to succeed. I have no doubt, with the calibre of men and women that I have seen here, that the task that Mr President has given to you, once the proclamation is done, you will rise to the occasion. And I know that the National Assembly, the Senate in particular, will stand by you all the way,” he said.Earlier, the NPC chairman, Nasir Isa Kwarra who led the delegation said the visit was to keep the Senate President abreast of the stage of preparation and seek continued support of the National Assembly for the next Census.”We cannot conduct this Census without your support. So we will continue to count on your support and we want to make Nigerians proud by conducting a very thorough Census that will yield a lot of data that will assist in planning policy formulation and tracking our development,” Kwarra said.COVER
June 12: Pay Abiola Family N45bn Debt, Lamido Tells Tinubu

By David Torough, Abuja
Former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido has called on President Bola Tinubu to show courage by closing the chapter of June 12 once and for all.According to him, the payment of the N45 billion debt owed to the family of the late presumed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, would serve as a symbolic and moral closure to the June 12 struggle and Abiola’s unjust treatment following the annulment of the election, widely believed to have been won by the late business mogul.
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs made the call while delivering his closing remarks at the launch of his autobiography, “Being True to Myself,” held yesterday in Abuja.“When (General) Murtala (Muhammed) died, Abiola came in with a claim that he was owed, I think, about N45bn for contracts executed by International Telephone and Telecommunication for the Ministry of Communications. The military high command at that time said no.“He went around the Emirs in the North to lobby, and the Emirs asked that they (the military) should please pay the money. They (the military) said they annulled the June 12 elections because if they made him President, he would take his money, and the country would become bankrupt. Those who were close to Abacha should know this because Abacha was then one of the big shots; they were all aware.”“Before I end my remarks, I want to appeal to President Tinubu to finally close the chapter of June 12. In his book, General Ibrahim Babangida acknowledged that Abiola won the election. When I visited him, he also confirmed that Abiola is owed N45 billion. He was doubly punished: first, denied the presidency; second, denied what is owed to him.”Lamido urged the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammad Idris Malagi, who represented President Tinubu at the event, to deliver the message to the President.“Please tell the President to pay the Abiola family the N45 billion. Once this is done, the June 12 chapter will be closed. It is very important,” he stated.