Only Lagos and Rivers will benefit from Tinubu’s tax reform bills – Zulum

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, on Sunday, explained why northern governors advised President Bola Tinubu to withdraw the controversial tax reform bills currently before the National Assembly. Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Zulum clarified that the Northern Governors Forum only seeks more time for consultation on the matter.

According to the governor, there have been several misconceptions about the tax proposal, particularly the provision related to Value Added Tax (VAT). “Based on the calculations that we did, only Lagos and Rivers States will benefit from this scheme. We did our own research and concluded that we would lose,” Zulum said. He emphasized that the northern governors have no intention of rushing the decision, urging the federal government to take a step back and reconsider some of the provisions that could harm not just northern Nigeria, but other states as well.

Zulum called for more time and deeper consultations to fully understand the implications of the tax reforms before they are passed into law. He expressed concern that, if the bill were to pass in its current form, states outside Lagos would be at a disadvantage, with Lagos set to be the primary beneficiary of the policy.

He also addressed the misconception that northern governors are opposed to President Tinubu’s administration. Zulum pointed out that, prior to the 2023 general election, he was one of the few governors who publicly advocated for power to rotate to the south. He further noted that over 60 percent of Tinubu’s votes in the election came from the north, making it clear that the northern region cannot be said to be against the president.

Zulum expressed disappointment at those spreading negative narratives about northern governors’ support for Tinubu, reiterating his own commitment to the president. “I am a strong member of the APC. If you can count two governors before 2019 and 2023 who were in support of Tinubu, you can mention Governor Zulum,” he stated.