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."