Governors elected under the All Progressives Congress (APC) are preparing to meet with members of the National Assembly as part of ongoing consultations concerning the controversial tax reform bills.
This meeting follows a discussion with President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday night, which was attended by senior cabinet members and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.
According to sources within the Presidency and the Progressives Governors’ Forum, the Wednesday session with President Tinubu focused on the tax reform bills and the strategies needed to ensure a smooth legislative process. The governors present included Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum; Mohammed Bago (Niger); Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos); Dapo Abiodun (Ogun); Usman Ododo (Kogi); Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti); Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa); and Hyacinth Alia (Benue). Also present at the meeting were key cabinet members such as Zacch Adedeji, Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS); Abubakar Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning; and Idris Mohammed, Minister of Information.
A source close to the discussions revealed that the meeting primarily focused on the details of President Tinubu’s tax reform proposals, including efforts to clarify their benefits and address the concerns and doubts that governors, elected officials, and other stakeholders have raised. The source added that the meeting aimed to ensure the reforms were understood and supported across different levels of government.
In a brief interaction with the press after the meeting, Governor Uzodimma explained that the discussions also touched on the APC’s upcoming mid-term congress, during which strategies would be devised to further strengthen the party’s structure and rally support for President Tinubu’s administration. He emphasized that the meeting was part of the APC’s efforts to bolster its internal cohesion and position itself for success.
The federal government argues that the tax reform bills are designed to shield small businesses from undue tax burdens while also establishing mechanisms to combat tax avoidance and evasion. However, the bills have faced significant opposition, particularly from northern governors and lawmakers. The 19 northern governors, in particular, have expressed strong objections to certain provisions of the bills, especially those related to Value Added Tax (VAT), and have called for the bills to be withdrawn from the National Assembly.
As a result, the APC governors plan to meet again with lawmakers and other political stakeholders in a series of consultations scheduled for Thursday night. The goal of these meetings is to secure broader support for the tax reforms, address the ongoing opposition, and facilitate their smooth passage through the National Assembly. This round of talks is seen as crucial for ensuring that the contentious bills move forward despite the challenges they face.
