Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has raised concerns that the controversial Tax Reform Bills, if passed into law, will predominantly benefit Lagos State, while other regions, especially the northern states, could face significant financial losses.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Zulum revealed that northern governors have urged President Bola Tinubu to reconsider the bills and allow more time for consultations regarding the concerns raised by various stakeholders. He expressed unease about the swift push for the passage of the bills, which have caused notable opposition from governors in northern Nigeria.
Zulum pointed out that, based on calculations and research done by his team, only Lagos and Rivers States would stand to gain from the new tax provisions, particularly the VAT adjustments, while the northern states would experience adverse effects. He stressed that northern governors have advised the federal government to pause and reconsider some of the clauses that negatively impact their region.
The governor further warned that if the bills are passed, Lagos will emerge as the primary beneficiary, leaving other states at a significant disadvantage. He also addressed the perception that northern leaders are opposed to President Tinubu’s administration, emphasizing his own support for the president. Zulum stated that he was among the early governors to back Tinubu’s presidential ambition, advocating for power to shift to the South long before the 2023 election. Despite his support, he expressed disappointment that the president has been misinformed about northern opposition, noting that the majority of Tinubu’s votes came from the northern states.
He said, “On this tax issue, there are a lot of misconceptions. We felt that the VAT provision in the tax law. Based on the calculations that we did, only Lagos and Rivers States will benefit from this scheme. We did our own research and conclude that we would lose.
“Why are we in a rush? We advised the Federal Government to take a pause, and expunge some of the clauses that are inimical to not only Northern Nigeria,” the Borno State governor state.
“I am a strong member of APC. If you can count two governors before 2019 and 2023 that were in support of Tinubu, you can mention Governor Zulum. I was the first governor to come out publicly and say that power must go to the South.
“Unfortunately, the President was told by many that the north are against him. 60.2 per cent of his votes came from the north,” Zulum said.
