Governors Clash Over Tinubu’s Tax Reforms as Meeting Stalls

By Our Correspondent

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) is grappling with internal divisions over tax reform bills submitted to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu.

A brief meeting held on Wednesday night at the NGF Secretariat in Abuja ended without any resolution or official statement, exposing the rift among the 36 state governors.

The proposed bills—Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, Tax Administration Bill, Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill—seek to revamp the country’s tax structure.

However, northern governors have voiced strong opposition, calling for the withdrawal of key provisions and demanding further consultations.

Arriving at the meeting in clusters, governors appeared aligned along regional and party lines.

Governors from the ruling APC seemed more united, following prior discussions with party leaders and President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa. In contrast, other governors, including Alex Otti (Labour Party), Chukwuma Soludo (APGA), and Caleb Mutfwang (PDP), joined separately.

The meeting, which began at 10 p.m. and lasted an hour, saw no press briefing or camaraderie, a departure from the norm.

Sources revealed the late start and staggered attendance reflected underlying tensions, further stalling efforts to find common ground.

Tinubu’s administration views the tax reforms as a vital step toward enhancing revenue collection, but resistance from governors highlights the challenges ahead.

With opinions divided, the fate of the bills remains uncertain.