Senator Ali Ndume has declared that the tax reform bill proposed by President Bola Tinubu’s administration is essentially doomed.
During an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Ndume expressed that Northern leaders are firmly opposed to the bill, viewing it as detrimental to the North.
He emphasized that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should focus on reforming governance rather than imposing additional taxes on Nigerians.
Ndume urged the president to heed the counsel of the Northern Governors’ Forum and promptly withdraw the bill.
Ndume said, “Our people are saying they don’t want the VAT bill, they don’t even want to hear about it. That is why we are going to make it dead on arrival. President Tinubu should heed the advice of the National Economic Council (NEC) and the Northern Governors’ Forum and withdraw the bills immediately.
“Nigerians are willing to pay taxes but only when they can afford it. Right now, people are struggling to survive. Let people live first before you start asking them for taxes.”
Ndume said it would be fair to shut the bill down, hinting that he had started rallying support among colleagues to reject the bills.
“What he needs to do is to withdraw the bill. Then go back to our people, educate and make us understand. We are representing the people, and they have already made their stance clear.
“The governors and traditional rulers have said that the bill is not good. So, the best course of action is to withdraw it immediately,” he added.
