…As FIRS shuts NDPHC, others over tax debt***

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday said there would be no Diaspora or Out-of-Country voting for Nigerians in the 2019 general election.

INEC gave the clarification in a statement issued by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye, in Abuja.

Okoye said that INEC attention had been drawn to a report by a section of the media which gave a false impression that the Commission has “made special provisions for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) outside Nigeria to vote in the 2019 General Elections.”

The Commission wishes to state unequivocally that there will be no Diaspora or Out-of-Country voting for any Nigerian, in accordance with extant provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended).

“Only duly registered IDPs within Nigeria will be allowed to vote.

“The Framework and Regulations for lDP Voting was presented and validated by stakeholders at a conference held in Abuja on December 12.

“However, there was no reference whatsoever in the remarks made by INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu or during deliberations at the validation meeting that special provisions will be made for IDPs outside Nigeria to vote in the forthcoming general elections, contrary to the said media reports,” he said.

Okoye added: “It should, however, be noted that while IDPs currently residing in states where they registered can vote in all elections, those displaced from their states and are currently Living in states other than where they were registered can only vote in the Presidential Election.”

He said that the framework validated by stakeholders at the conference is in consonance with the provisions of Section 26 (1) of the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2015.

The sections according to Okoye provides that “in the event of an emergency affecting an election, the Commission shall as far as possible ensure that persons displaced as a result of emergency are not disenfranchised.”

In the meantime, the Federal Inland Revenue Service on Thursday sealed the headquarters of the Niger Delta Power Holding Company over tax liabilities totalling N9, 831,368, 259.90.

Led by Mrs Anita Erinne, the FIRS enforcement team went to the NDPHC headquarters at the Central Business District in Abuja with a warrant signed by the FIRS Chairman, Mr Tunde Fowler.

According to the warrant, the liabilities, comprising Corporate Income Tax, Education Tax, Value Added Tax and Withholding Tax, were incurred between 2007 and 2017.

The FIRS had on Thursday also sealed the premises of defaulting companies in Lagos. Among these was Pormat Peters located in the Abule Egba area of the city over a tax debt of N504m.

A similar fate befell Niger Insurance Plc., which owes N190.9m.

The Managing Director of the insurance firm, Mr Lawal Mijinyawa, while pleading for leniency, told the FIRS team that he and the finance manager were unaware of the tax debt because they had just resumed at the firm.

The team also sealed ANSA Systems Limited located inside Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi. The company has tax liabilities totalling N17m.

The Citizen with additional report from Punch