The backlash from plans by President Bola Tinubu to reform the tax administration in the country is yet to abate, following fresh plans by state governors of northern extraction and members of the National Assembly from the region to scuttle the moves.
The fresh push back against the bills in both chambers of the National Assembly, Saturday Sun has gathered, is being spearheaded by some governors from the seven states in the North-West and six from the North-East. Two state governors from the North-central are also alleged to have joined the fray.
On the other hand, four state governors from the North are aligning with President Tinubu’s positions on the tax reforms, it was gathered. Three of the four governors are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), while one is a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Saturday Sun further gathered that two of the four presiding officers of the National Assembly, who are from the North-West, are currently under pressure to align with the position taken by northern governors on the issue. Though it is not clear if the two presiding officers will shift their ground and support governors from the north, sources told Saturday Sun that powerful traditional rulers and clerics have been approached to prevail on them to frustrate the bills.
Already, lawmakers from the north, led by a former Leader of the Senate, Mohammed Ali Ndume, are mobilising against the bills in the two chambers of the National Assembly.
Ndume, who in a series of interviews, described the bills as dead on arrival, has repeatedly argued that they’re anti-north and must therefore be jettisoned by President Tinubu.
“These taxes they’re talking about, we are almost losing the middle class in Nigeria. It is either you have it or you do not have it. Those that are in the middle are being squeezed out. If Nigerians can pay those taxes, it is okay. But in the current situation, increasing taxes is not an alternative at all. I will not support any increase in tax.
“Let us get things right first. Let people start living and not survive. Let people have extra income, and then you can tax them. I like to use an example of common sense. Allow Nigerians to have enough blood in their body before you start asking for donation,” Ndume had stated in a press release.
Saturday Sun also gathered that although other senators have maintained a stoic silence, they are covertly working to undermine the passage of the bills.
Despite mounting opposition, President Tinubu has stated that he would not withdraw the tax reform bills but remains open to legislative inputs and necessary changes. The proposals have faced substantial criticism, with leaders urging the president to reconsider his stance.
Key components of the reform include the Nigeria Tax Bill, intended to reduce overlapping taxes; the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, which seeks to harmonise tax processes nationwide; the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, which proposes renaming the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS); and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill, aimed at creating a Joint Revenue Board to streamline tax administration across the country.
Credit: The Sun