Your Tax Reform Bill is dead on arrival–Northern Senator tells President Tinubu – Crime Channels
Your Tax Reform Bill is dead on arrival–Northern Senator tells President Tinubu
Senator Ali Ndume has dismissed the tax reform bill introduced by the Tinubu administration, declaring it “dead on arrival.”
Speaking in an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Ndume expressed strong opposition to the proposed legislation, claiming it would be detrimental to the northern region.
The senator pointed out that Northern leaders are firmly against the bill, which they believe disproportionately targets the North. According to Ndume, the reform is seen as an additional financial burden on Nigerians rather than a beneficial policy.
He emphasised that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should focus on governance reform instead of imposing new taxes on the population. “The president was expected to lead a governance overhaul, not introduce more taxes that will weigh down ordinary Nigerians,” Ndume remarked.
Ndume urged President Tinubu to heed the advice of the Northern Governors’ Forum and withdraw the tax reform bill immediately, stressing that a more inclusive and thoughtful approach is needed to address the country’s fiscal challenges.
Ndume said, “Our people are saying they don’t want the VAT bill, they don’t even want to hear about it. That is why we are going to make it dead on arrival.
President Tinubu should heed the advice of the National Economic Council (NEC) and the Northern Governors’ Forum and withdraw the bills immediately.
“Nigerians are willing to pay taxes but only when they can afford it. Right now, people are struggling to survive. Let people live first before you start asking them for taxes.”
Ndume said it would be fair to shut the bill down, hinting that he had started rallying support among colleagues to reject the bills.
“What he needs to do is to withdraw the bill. Then go back to our people, educate and make us understand. We are representing the people, and they have already made their stance clear.
“The governors and traditional rulers have said that the bill is not good. So, the best course of action is to withdraw it immediately,” he added.
