Group Approaches Court Over Atiku’s ‘Unpaid’ Personal Income Taxes

The Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CCPM) has
approached a court to demand the 2015 and 2016 tax receipts of
Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic
party (PDP).

The group had made a request to the Executive Chairman, Federal
Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Abuja on November 16, citing Section
1(1) and (2) and Section 4(A) of the Freedom of Information
Act.

However, according to CCPM, the demand had not been met, even
after it issued a seven working days ultimatum to the FIRS to
respond to the request.

Therefore, on Thursday, the group approached the Federal High
Court in Abuja “for an Order of Mandamus compelling FIRS to make
available either directly to the Applicants or through the Courts,
copies of the 2015 and 2016 Tax Receipts of Alhaji Atiku
Abubakar”.

This was disclosed in a statement by Nelson Ekujumi, CCPM
National Coordinator, and Solomon Sobade, CCPM Trustee, made
available to SaharaReporters on Thursday.

The statement read: “Sequel to the request of the Committee for
the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM) dated Friday, November 16,
2018 and addressed to the Executive Chairman, Federal Inland
Revenue Service (FIRS), Abuja made under Section 1(1) and (2) and
Section 4(A) of the Freedom of Information Act with regards to the
2015 and 2016 Tax Receipts of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

“The Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM)
today Thursday, November 29, 2018, consequent upon the failure of
FIRS to accede to our demands instituted within the provisions of
the Freedom of Information Act within seven working days from the
date of receipt of our request, approached the Federal High Court
Abuja for an Order of Mandamus compelling FIRS to make available
either directly to the Applicants or through the Courts, copies of
the 2015 and 2016 Tax Receipts of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

“From our private investigation, it has come to our knowledge
that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar may not have been paying his personal
income taxes AS AT WHEN DUE. We wonder how he intends to get
Nigeria working again if he has been a tax dodger.

“We have instituted this court action for the purpose of
enlightening Nigerians about the electoral process as well as
campaigning for the accountability of public office holders and
aspirants.”

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