A political pressure group, the National Opposition Movement ( NOM) has asked President Bola Tinubu to suspend the bew Tax Law slated to take effect next month to make room for a wider consultation involving labour, civil society, SMEs, professionals, and states in the country.
The group, in a statement released in Abuja on Wednesday demanded that the law must not take off until there are explicit social protection guarantees tied to the tax reform and the law made to focus on taxing luxury, excess profits, monopolies, and corruption , rsther than poverty.
The group also said that before the Tax Reform can take off, there must be strong legal safeguards to protect taxpayer rights.
The NOM, described the new tax law as a weapon fashioned against the economic wellbeing and social security of the suffering and , poor Nigerian citizens, hence must not take off now until the government addresses the concerns of the public.
According to the group the situation in Nigeria today is terrible as many Nigerians can barely afford the basuc necessities of life namely food, transport, security, or pay their electricity bills and rents.
“It is sad that at a time like this that the Tinubu administration is preparing to roll out the most punitive and exploitative tax regime in the history of Nigeria. Even the colonial authority in its viciousness did not contemplate taxing poor Nigerians the way Tinubu plans at the beginning of the years.
“The viciousness of this administration shows that Nigeria would be hit with these exploitative and inhuman tax regimes in January when they do not have the fiscal space for such sacrifices.
“This exploitative tax regime points to the thoughtlessness of the Tinubu administration and its unyielding commitment to cater to the financial interests of the oligarchs to the detriment of the ordinary Nigerians who he continues to punish with all manners of taxes and raising prices.
“Let us be clear, what President Tinubu is rolling out in January is not a tax reform; it is an assault on the livelihood of ordinary Nigerians who he has not hidden his contempt for and whose prosperity is not part of the agenda of his government
According to the new tax law, the group stated, all adults of taxable age, whether employed or not, must file a tax return between January 1 and 31st March 2026 after which sanction for non-filing will begin to apply. In addition, owners of companies, must file for all theur employees even if they are paid below the taxable bracket and one cannot make the filling if one does not have a Tax Identification Number.
“This is so mindless. In a country where over 70 million are unemployed, where people do not have good access to internet services and where the level of service delivery from state institutions are poor or almost non-existent, President Tinubu has set up an exploitative racket against innocent Nigerians. This reads like a strategy from the infamous Lagos governance. Small and medium businesses are struggling to survive under a bad policy environment. Yet, Tinubu continues to pile pressure on them and does not provide any serious business support
“We stand with Nigerian workers, traders, professionals, and small businesses.We will resist any policy that punishes the poor to excuse leadership failure.
If this tax plan is forced through without suspension and consultation, the government will be fully responsible for the social and economic consequences.
This is not a threat.It is a warning grounded in reality. Nigeria is hurting. And the suffering Nigerians have limits.
“Let us warn Tinubu and his enforcers, the crisis in West Africa is a crisis of unaccountable governance, of authoritarian rule without accountability, and state capture guided by greed and arrogance.
“Nigeria should be saved from the misfortune of stoking the fire of conflict that will destroy the prospect of democracy and development in Nigeria. The government should end its provocation of Nigeria and suppression of the voices of opposition politicians, labour leaders and civil society leaders. The government should release its stranglehold on Nigeria.
“Tinubu should let Nigerians breathe. Enough of poverty, enough of insecurity, enough the burden of his taskmaster, enough of assault against opposition leaders. As we close the year, we close Tinubu’s gross incompetence,” the group said.
