BREAKING: Tinubu rejects NEC’s advice to withdraw tax reform bills, gives reason

• President Bola Tinubu has rejected the advice of the NEC asking him to withdraw the Tax Reform Bill
• The president commended the NEC headed by Shettima but noted that the bill should be left to legislative debate
• The NEC had rejected the bill after the nineteen governors in the north called for its rejection, adding that it would make the north poorer

President Bola Tinubu has said there is no going back on the Tax Reform Bills he sent to the National Assembly two months ago, adding that it is best to leave them to legislative debate rather than withdraw them.

The president's comment came barely 24 hours after the National Economic Council (NEC), headed by Vice President Kashim Shettima, asked Tinubu to withdraw the bills due to the controversies it was generating.

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Why NEC rejects Tinubu's bills

The NEC made the demand at the end of their meeting, which was also attended by the 36 state governors. They asked that the bills be withdrawn to allow for wider consultations.

Nineteen northern governors and monarchs rejected the Tax Reform Bill, citing its potential harm to the North's interests, particularly the proposed Value Added Tax (VAT) distribution amendment. They argued that VAT should be remitted based on consumption location, not company headquarters.

Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State emphasized the need for equity and fairness in national policies, ensuring no geopolitical zone is marginalized. Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State clarified that the governors' opposition was not against President Tinubu but rather the potentially unfair VAT bill.

Tax Reform Bills: Why Tinubu reject NEC's advice

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However, in a statement, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu's special assistant on information and strategy, commended the NEC for its position but maintained that the bill should be left for legislative debate.

The statement reads in part:

"While urging the NEC to allow the process to take its full course, President Tinubu welcomes further consultations and engagement with key stakeholders to address any reservations about the bills while the National Assembly considers them for passage."

Read the full statement here:

Sule explains why North rejects Tinubu's bill

Legit.ng earlier reported that Abdullahi Sule, the governor of Nasarawa state, had said the 19 northern governors were not against President Bola Tinubu.

Sule maintained that it would not make sense for the North, which worked effortlessly to ensure President Tinubu emerged victorious, to turn against him.

However, the Nasarawa state governor maintained that the governors rejected the VAT bill because it wouldn't be fair to the region.

Source: Legit.ng