Dada Olusegun, the Special Adviser on social media to President Bola Tinubu, has brought to light an intriguing twist in Nigeria's ongoing tax reform debate.
According to Olusegun, the tax reforms currently under consideration by the National Assembly were originally part of Rabiu Kwankwaso's 2023 campaign manifesto.
Kwankwaso, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) presidential candidate, had previously advocated for these reforms, which include the Nigeria Tax Bill 2024, the Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill.
Olusegun took to social media platform X to assert, "Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso in his 2023 campaign manifesto vowed to do this exact tax reforms that he is today opposing vehemently. Let him or his people deny it. The manifesto is in public domain for those who don’t believe."
Despite his earlier support, Kwankwaso now urges President Tinubu to reconsider the timing of these bills, suggesting that it is not the right moment for their introduction. He argues that the proposed reforms could be detrimental, particularly to regions outside Lagos and Rivers State, where they are perceived to offer the most benefit.
However, Tinubu’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, refutes these claims, emphasizing that the reforms are designed to "enhance the quality of life for Nigerians, especially the disadvantaged, who are trying to make a living."
This assertion aims to counter the narrative that the bills are anti-North and only advantageous to certain states.
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