Tax Bill: “Why Tinubu Will Not Lose Northern Support in 2027,” Political Analyst Jide Ojo Speaks
- Political analyst Jide Ojo has expressed support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's tax reform bills
- In an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, he urged Tinubu to engage in dialogue with northern leaders rather than withdraw the bill
- Amid stiff opposition by the 19 governors from the region, Jide Ojo highlighted Tinubu’s strategic moves to retain northern support in the 2027 election
Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
Amid stiff opposition from the north, political analyst Jide Ojo has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to withdraw the tax reform bills currently before the National Assembly.
Source: Facebook
Speaking exclusively with Legit.ng on Sunday, December 29, he noted that "the merit of the tax bill far outweighs the demerit."
Jide Ojo said:
"I think the president is on point by insisting on not withdrawing the bill.
"The four bills is over 400 pages. The only controversial aspect of the bill is the Value Added Tax (VAT) and revenue distribution which the bill says should be on the basis of derivation. And if you listen to the president's media chat, he did say that he is ready to reach a compromise with those who are not comfortable with the tax reform bills. It is important to note that anything tax is always resisted by the people."
He disclosed that he had not read the 400 pages of the bills but had listened to experts' opinions and is convinced because the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, spent about one year discussing and consulting.
Ojo continued:
"In fact, I just heard that the bill if passed will also grow local government autonomy; in the sense that the bill already has the framework for local government to have their own budget. The merit of this bill far outweighs the demerit.
"I do not believe that those who are against the bill are the enemies of Nigeria but many of them have not had time to study the bill. If the president withdraws the bill, there will be no time for further consultation.
"Let me be sincere with you, after 2025, governance will drop, politics will take the center stage by 2026. Any reforms that any government or organization wants to do is best done in the first three years in office.
"Look at what happen with the Buhari administration that wanted to do national population census in an election year, did it happen?" and that is the project which over N200 billion has been spent and that money has gone down the drain."
Why north will support Tinubu in 2027
Legit.ng reported that Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state said the north would show its “true colours to President Tinubu over the controversial tax reform bills.
Mohammed said Tinubu should change the tax policies because they are “anti-northern” Nigerian.
But in an interview with Legit.ng on Sunday, Jide Ojo stated that Tinubu will not lose the support of the north in the forthcoming general elections scheduled for 2027.
"Let me tell you something, Tinubu will not lose the support of the north. That one or two governors are against it does not mean the entire north are against it," he stated.
According to him, the bills, developed with extensive consultations, aim to enhance revenue distribution, local government autonomy, and fiscal policies, particularly Value Added Tax (VAT) derivation.
Ojo dismissed fears of northern leaders' pushback against Tinubu in 2027. He noted that the president’s strategic initiatives in the region will work to his advantage.
However, the political analyst urged Tinubu to address the leaders' concerns about the bills.
Jide Ojo stated thus:
"What I believe Tinubu should do, which he has done previously, is to call for the national council of state meeting. He could se the council chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima as an avenue to actually explain in greater detail to the northern governors who are currently opposing the bill. He could also speak with the northern senators and National Assembly members and tell them about the potential shift.
"If at all President Tinubu should withdraw the bills, it should be the bill that has the VAT. Interestingly, the president has already done it. He has asked the minister of justice to work with the National Assembly and fine tune the grey areas of the bill.
"2027 is a long time, 24 hours is a long time in politics. Tinubu is a political strategist. Do you think he established the northwest development commission, ministry of livestock development for the fun of it? Do you think he has two ministers of agriculture for the fun of it? Do you think that he has a minister defence and minister of police affairs for the fun of it? Do you think he refused to remove any of the former northern governors in his cabinet reshuffle for the fun of it?"
Read more about the tax reform bills here:
- Former Reps Speaker reacts as Northern leaders reportedly call for withdrawal of Tinubu’s tax bill: “Cowardice”
- Tax reforms: Kano gov mentions those who will be prosecuted, details emerge
- Tinubu's tax reform bills: Nigerian governors divided
Tax bills: Shehu Sani advises northern senators
Legit.ng earlier reported that Shehu Sani, a former Senator from Kaduna state, sent a message to northern elites over President Bola Tinubu's tax reform bills.
The former senator said that the president's economic reform was an opportunity for the country to reset, reconfigure and restructure.
Sani stressed that emotional outbursts and uninformed opinions would not lead to meaningful discussions around the tax reform bills.
Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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Source: Legit.ng
