A heated altercation erupted in Nigeria’s House of Representatives over the controversial tax reform bills initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, after House spokesperson Akintunde Rotimi Jr. publicly expressed his support for the bills.
Rotimi Jr., representing Ekiti North 1 (Ikole/Oye) constituency, sparked the tension when he revealed that the Ekiti State caucus in the National Assembly had unanimously endorsed the tax reform bills.
While presenting a report on a bill from the Committee on Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring, he stated, “I am from Ekiti State, the very first state in the National Assembly caucus to unanimously endorse the tax bill.”
This statement quickly provoked strong reactions from members, particularly those from the northern region of Nigeria, leading to a disruption of proceedings for over five minutes as they shouted in opposition.
Speaker Tajudeen Abass intervened, urging lawmakers to calm down and pointing out that Rotimi Jr. was merely expressing a personal opinion on the matter.
Despite the intervention, Rotimi Jr. was pressured to withdraw his statement, with the Speaker advising him to focus solely on presenting the report.
The uproar continued when Rotimi Jr. attempted to resume his presentation of the Nigerian Content Development Board report, but he was once again shouted down by the opponents of the tax reforms.
One of the vocal critics, Dr. Ghali Mustafa Tijjani, a representative from Gaya/Albasu/Ajingi Federal Constituency of Kano State, spoke out against the proposed tax reforms. Tijjani, from the opposition New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), argued that the bills would disproportionately affect the poor, making life even harder for Nigerians.
He warned that the reforms were capitalist in nature and would worsen the financial strain on ordinary citizens.
Tijjani emphasized that the government should explore other means of raising revenue, such as addressing revenue leakages and utilizing the country’s abundant mineral resources.
He also criticized the government’s focus on large infrastructure projects, like the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, instead of prioritizing investments that would benefit ordinary Nigerians, such as supporting small and medium businesses.
According to Tijjani, the proposed tax increases, particularly the planned rise in VAT from 7.5% to 15% by 2030, would ultimately be passed on to the consumer, further burdening the public.
Tijjani’s concerns echoed the position of the Northern Governors Forum, calling for tax holidays for small businesses and a focus on employment generation.
He pointed out the harsh economic conditions facing Nigerians, with rising inflation, job losses, and government agencies laying off workers.
He added that the timing of the tax reform bills was wrong, given the current economic challenges, and advocated for more support for small-scale businesses to stimulate the economy and provide jobs.
