Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, has claimed that only Lagos and Rivers States stand to benefit from President Bola Tinubu’s proposed tax reform bills.
Speaking on behalf of the northern governors, Zulum said their stance was informed by detailed research and calculations.
The governor also elaborated on why the northern governors urged President Tinubu to delay pushing the controversial bills forward.
“There are a lot of misconceptions about this tax issue,” Zulum stated. “Based on our analysis of the VAT provisions in the tax law, only Lagos and Rivers States would gain from this scheme. Our research showed that other states, including those in the North, would incur losses.”
He continued, “Why the rush? We advised the Federal Government to pause and remove clauses that are harmful to Northern Nigeria. We are simply asking for more time to conduct deeper consultations and fully grasp the details of this tax regime before it becomes law.”
Zulum further warned that if the bill passes through the National Assembly in its current form, most states would be at a disadvantage, with Lagos being the primary beneficiary.
In October, President Tinubu asked the National Assembly to assent to pass the bills into law.
The bills are the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024 -SB.583; The Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) BILL, 2024- SB.584; The Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, 2024-SB.585; and the Nigeria Tax Bill, 2024 – SB.586.
But on November 28, the tax reform bills passed a second reading in the Senate.
Not Against Tinubu’s Govt
He argued that contrary to some insinuations in some quarters, the northern governors are not against President Tinubu’s administration.
Zulum recalled that before the 2023 general election, he was one of the few governors who insisted that power must be rotated to the south.
According to him, the north cannot be against Tinubu as over 60 per cent of his votes in the 2023 general elections came from the region.
He regretted that some people were passing a negative narrative that the north is against Tinubu’s government.
“I am a strong member of APC. If you can count two governors before 2019 and 2023 who were in support of Tinubu, you can mention Governor Zulum. I was the first governor to come out publicly and say that power must go to the South.
“Unfortunately, the President was told by many that the North was against him. 60.2 per cent of his votes came from the north.
“But later on, people have turned it upside down. I want you to believe that our consultation is central to democracy, and in a democratic setting, we are begging for the right to be consulted. This is only what has happened, he added.
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