The Federal Government’s proposed tax reform bill, spearheaded by President Bola Tinubu, has ignited a heated national debate, with significant opposition from influential northern leaders who fear its potential to exacerbate regional disparities.
Key critics, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, and former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, have voiced concerns over the bill’s socioeconomic impact on the northern region, already struggling with economic challenges, high poverty rates, and security issues.
Amid growing pressure from northern governors and 73 northern lawmakers, the House of Representatives has indefinitely suspended the debate on the bill.
At the heart of the opposition is the belief that the proposed reforms would disproportionately burden northern states, further deepening the divide between Nigeria’s wealthier south and its economically fragile north.
The debate underscores the broader tension between fiscal policy and the need for equitable development in Nigeria.
The Senate passed on Thursday for second reading, the tax reform bills forwarded to it by Tinubu in October 2024.
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