THE Governor of Borno State, Professor Babagana Zulum, has stated that only Lagos and Rivers states are likely to benefit from President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform bills.
During an interview, Zulum explained that this conclusion was drawn from research and calculations conducted by northern governors.
He elaborated on the reasons the northern governors advised President Tinubu to delay the implementation of the controversial bills.
“There are many misconceptions surrounding this tax issue. Our calculations indicate that only Lagos and Rivers states will gain from this scheme, while we will incur losses,” Zulum stated.
He questioned the urgency of the situation, saying, “We urged the Federal Government to pause and remove some clauses that are detrimental to Northern Nigeria. We believe more time is needed for deeper consultations to fully understand the complexities of this tax regime before it becomes law.”
Zulum warned that if the bill is approved by the National Assembly, it would disadvantage many states, with Lagos being the primary beneficiary.
In October, President Tinubu requested the National Assembly to approve the bills, which include 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. The tax reform bills passed their second reading in the Senate on November 28.
Not Opposed to Tinubu’s Government
Zulum emphasized that, contrary to some perceptions, the northern governors are not against President Tinubu’s administration.
He recalled that before the 2023 general election, he was among the few governors advocating for power to be rotated to the south.
As a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Zulum supported Tinubu’s presidential campaign. He pointed out that the north cannot be against Tinubu, as over 60 percent of his votes in the 2023 elections came from the region.
He expressed disappointment that some individuals are promoting a negative narrative suggesting that the north opposes Tinubu’s government.
“I am a committed member of the APC. If you look for two governors who supported Tinubu before 2019 and 2023, you would find me among them. I was the first governor to publicly advocate for power to shift to the south.
“Unfortunately, the President was misinformed by many that the north was against him, even though 60.2 percent of his votes came from the north. However, this narrative has been distorted. I want to emphasize that consultation is essential to democracy, and in a democratic setting, we are asking for the right to be consulted. That is all we are requesting,” he added.