Tax Reform Bill: Northern Nigeria Not Against Tinubu, Says Sule

The governor of Nasarawa State Abdullahi Sule has dismissed insinuations that the northern region of the country is against the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

During its meeting with traditional rulers and other stakeholders on Monday, the Northern Governors’ Forum rejected the proposed Tax Reform Bill that was forwarded to the National Assembly.

Since then, there have been speculations that the north is against President Tinubu.

But Governor Sule said having enjoyed the support of the region in the 2023 presidential election, President Tinubu still has the backing of the North contrary to speculations.

”We can not bring President Tinubu as a president – and the North came in heavily in making sure President Tinubu is the president – and then turn around and be against him,” he said on Tuesday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.

”What we said clearly is that we want fairness in the distribution of the VAT…If we go the way it is we are going to say it will be unfair to some other states in the South.”

According to him, the north’s opposition to the proposed bill is because it is unfair to the region.

“So, the states that have almost no VAT at the moment will end up actually with the shorter area of the stick,” the Nasarawa governor said.

“And you know, the 19 states of the north are generating very little when it comes to VAT at the moment.”

“What we said clearly is that we want fairness in the distribution of the VAT. We believe if we go the way it is, it is going to be unfair. I told you that it is going to be unfair to even some other states in the south,” the governor added.

”We can not bring President Tinubu as a president; the North came in heavily to make sure President Tinubu the president and then turn around and be against him.”

-Governor Sule of Nasarawa state on speculations that the North is against the president

Governor Sule said Nigeria cannot drive growth through value-added tax (TAX) but can achieve such via a robust manufacturing sector.

“How do you drive the economy through VAT? You drive a grand economy through manufacturing, and production, not through VAT. You don’t overtax people and expect that this is the way to drive growth,” he said.

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