Tax Reform Bills: Tinubu Takes Fresh Action Amid Northern Opposition, Details Emerge

• Some northern elites are still opposed to the federal government’s proposed tax reform bills
• The northern stakeholders demanded the bills' immediate suspension and called for extensive dialogue with the people who matter
• A fresh report said President Bola Tinubu is determined to address Nigeria’s challenges and implement reforms, hence, he has sent representatives to go and speak to the rebelling northern leaders

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering elections, politics, and governance in Nigeria.

Kano, Kano state - President Bola Tinubu has started sending emissaries to the northern elite to clear the way for the passage of the tax reform bills.

As reported by The Punch on Sunday, January 5, 2025, sources in the presidency revealed that Tinubu was also consulting with the political class for support on the bills.

Tinubu pushes for acceptance of tax reform bills

Read also

Wike, Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen under fire over N10 billion allocation, details surface

The newspaper quoted an official as saying:

“What I know is that he (President Tinubu) has been consulting with some of the northern elite at individual level and as groups, even before the holidays."

Another source added:

“He is reaching out through different channels that are available to him to make sure that the grey areas of the bill are smoothened out."

Legit.ng reports that the tax reform bills, drafted by the Presidential Committee on Tax Reforms and Fiscal Policy, aim to overhaul the existing tax laws in Nigeria.

The president transmitted the four bills—the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill—to the National Assembly on October 3, 2024.

However, the bills have faced stiff opposition from the northern parts of the country, notably from governors who described them as “anti-north.”

Read more on Tinubu's tax reform bills:

Read also

Nigerian governors, Shettima meet Tinubu in Lagos, details emerge

• Tinubu's tax reform bills divide 36 governors
• Sanusi mentions 1 problem of north amid Tinubu's tax controversies
• "We may not all agree": Tinubu defends controversial proposed tax reforms, assures positive outcome

Tinubu's tax bills: Presidency tackles governor

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the presidency described as "inflammatory" a recent statement by Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi state, that the Tinubu administration's tax reform bills are an invitation to anarchy.

The ruling government, through Sunday Dare, said Mohammed's decision to continually 'threaten' the FG is "unbecoming of his office as a state governor".

Source: Legit.ng