The Nigerian House of Representatives was engulfed in a heated debate over President Bola Tinubu's controversial Tax Reform Bills.
The session turned tumultuous when Akin Rotimi, the House spokesperson and Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee, made remarks that sparked strong opposition among lawmakers.
Rotimi, standing in for the absent Committee Chair, Boma Goodhead, attempted to present a report on Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring.
During his presentation, he stated, "My name is Akin Rotimi Jr. I represent the people of Ekiti North comprising Ikole and Oye Local Governments. Mr. Speaker, I am from Ekiti State, the first state whose National Assembly Caucus has unanimously endorsed the tax bills."
This statement led to an uproar, with members vocally opposing the endorsement and chanting "No, No, No!" The Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, intervened, advising Rotimi to "restrict yourself to the subject matter," emphasizing that the tax bills were not under discussion due to their controversial nature.
On behalf of Rotimi, the Speaker withdrew the statement, urging him to retract it. Despite Rotimi's apology and retraction, the dissatisfaction among lawmakers persisted.
They demanded that he step down the report entirely. Yielding to the pressure, Rotimi conceded, saying, "I seek the leave of the Speaker and honourable members to step down the report."
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