Northern politicians ask Tinubu to reconsider tax reform bills

Some northern politicians have advised President Bola Tinubu to respect the position of the National Economic Council on the controversial tax reform bills.

President Tinubu declared last Monday that the tax reforms had come to stay, ruling out the possibility of withdrawing them from the National Assembly as the governors had demanded.

Responding to Tinubu’s stance on the bills, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed stated that his colleagues would show Tinubu “their true colours.”

Bala was quoted as saying, “The current tax reform is not only hasty but unfair in its design. It risks concentrating revenue streams at the centre while depriving states like Bauchi of the funds needed to cater to our people. If this continues, we will have no choice but to show our true colours.”

Commenting on the controversies about the bills, a former Secretary General of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Anthony Sani, said contrary to claims in some quarters, President Tinubu was willing to listen to opposing views about the reform initiatives.

Sani also corrected the impression that the opposition to the bills came only from the northern region.

He said, “The President said he was not averse to discussions on the aspect of VAT that is disagreeable to some people. I also wish to correct the impression that only northerners want the tax reform bills withdrawn for further consultations.

“The National Economic Council, comprising all the 36 state governors, and the governor of Central Bank of Nigeria advised the presidency to withdraw the bills for further consultations/discussions.

“It is therefore wrong to suggest cleavages of the nation along regional lines on the tax bills. It is not all the four bills that are disagreeable.”

He called on the President to heed the voices of the governors, stating that NEC was a constitutional platform which had advised further discussions of the bills.

Sani maintained that though Tinubu’s insistency on the tax reform was not politically good for his second-term ambition, the bill has nothing to do with 2027 politics.

“Though it is not a good political move for the presidency to curtly dismiss NEC, the issue has nothing to do with 2027 politics.”

Also, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, said the tax reforms didn’t reflect national interest.

Tanko, who spoke with Sunday PUNCH, said the priority of Nigerians’s priority was survival, not who they would vote for in 2027.

“Nigerians are struggling to survive. Let them survive first. If they survive the current government, they will decide who to vote for in 2027,” he said.

Tanko added, “There were aspects of the reforms that people were uncomfortable with. A State like Lagos stands to gain more than others because services consumed in other places will have their VATs remitted in Lagos where the headquarters of most of these companies are located.

“This is what these governors are complaining about but the President seems not bothered.”

Meanwhile, the National President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Yerima Shettima, has said Tinubu’s reelection will suffer a huge setback because of his insistence on the tax reform bills.

In an exclusive interview with Sunday PUNCH in Abuja, Yerima warned of serious electoral consequences in the 2027 election should President Tinubu stick with his stance on the bills.

He said, “Despite advisories from northern leaders such as Governors Babagana Zulum and Bala Mohammed, President Tinubu has remained steadfast in his position that the tax bills have come to stay. This stance has raised concerns about the potential impact on his electoral prospects in the North in the upcoming 2027 elections.

“President Tinubu’s insistence that the tax bills are here to stay despite these concerns raises questions about the potential electoral consequences. If President Tinubu’s position on the tax bills alienates voters in the North, it could cost him significant support in the 2027 elections.

“While the President’s economic reforms may be well-intentioned, his refusal to consider the concerns of northern leaders could have significant electoral consequences in the 2027 elections.”