Senators from Northern Nigeria will on Wednesday push for the withdrawal of the controversial Tax Reform Bills pending before the National Assembly.
Senator Ali Ndume (Borno, APC) stated this in an interview with Daily Trust.
According to the senator, who has been speaking vehemently against the bill, said the northern senators met with their governors and other leaders were they called for the withdrawal of the tax reform bills for further consultations and buy-in.
Ndume said some provisions in the bills clashed with the Nigerian constitution and would not stand. “I am surprised that the motion which we agreed was not mentioned today (Tuesday) at the plenary, but I am hopeful that tomorrow (Wednesday), the Chief Whip of the Senate (Tahir Monguno) will bring a motion for the withdrawal of the bills as agreed in that meeting.
“This is not the first time such a thing has been done; some good examples include the water resource bill when our friends from the South raised concerns and it was withdrawn. We had the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), which was withdrawn on several occasions in the House of Representatives and the Senate before it was finally passed after more than ten years.
“As I said before and I will repeat it, why the hurry? This is something that should be done after wide consultation because it requires the buy-in of all stakeholders,” he said.
Ndume also dismissed the claim in some quarters that they were using the tax reform imbroglio to play politics ahead of 2027.
“No; somebody has to be principled. Politically, I am the second oldest legislator in the National Assembly. I am used to saying it as it is. I am not playing the script of anybody. If I have any political leader today, (former president, Muhammadu) Buhari is supposed to be number one and then President Tinubu. I cannot speak against them but I can disagree with them,” he said.
Ndume said this was in line with the suggestions of traditional rulers and the National Economic Council (NEC), adding that state assemblies in the region would also voice out their objections soon.
Also speaking on the controversial bills, Senator Buba Umaru Shehu, (Bauchi, APC) have demanded the suspension of further legislative action on, which they recently passed for second reading.
Shehu revealed that the decision was part of the outcome of the northern senators’ meeting in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service yesterday, adding that northern senators from both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition parties were unanimous on the suspension of action on the proposals.
The lawmakers made this demand attributing their action to the potential adverse effects on northern states.
“These bills are complex and require thorough review by tax policy experts,” he said, just as he criticised the perceived haste in advancing the bills, which were deliberated on for only a few days.
According to Shehu, Senators and House of Representatives members from the north are strongly against the proposed “derivation” formula in the Value Added Tax (VAT) distribution system, adding that northern states would be unfairly treated.
He said passing the bills without careful review could have long-term consequences.
The House of Representatives, which was to start the debate on Tuesday, suspended the move indefinitely, saying public outcry and resistance from some northern lawmakers was responsible for their action.
Giving reasons for the suspension of the debate in the green Chamber, Rep. Muhammad Bello Shehu Fagge said “we’ve observed the public’s anger against the bill and the strong reactions from our religious leaders, which is why we decided to suspend the debate,” he said.
The controversial bills had been referred to the Senate Committee on Finance for further review. The committee, chaired by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger) is expected to subject them to a public hearing to get inputs from experts and members of the public.
The proposed tax laws, submitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the parliament, have sparked heated debates nationwide.
Critics, including northern governors, traditional rulers, and lawmakers, had urged the president to withdraw the bills for broader consultation. But the president insisted that the bills should be allowed to undergo legislative process.
