The proposed Tax Reform Bills by President Bola Tinubu have sparked widespread anger in Northern Nigeria, with regional groups and clerics demanding their suspension.
The four bills—Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024 (SB.583), Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, 2024 (SB.584), Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, 2024 (SB.585), and Nigeria Tax Bill, 2024 (SB.586)—have already passed second reading in the Senate, despite mounting opposition.
During the Jumm’at congregational prayer on Friday, clerics, including Professor Mansur Ibrahim from Sokoto State, condemned the bills, accusing the Federal Government of operating in secrecy.
He praised lawmakers like Senator Ali Ndume (APC-Borno South) for voicing opposition while criticizing other senators for supporting what he described as detrimental legislation. 
The bills, presented by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, passed second reading on Thursday under the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio. This came a day after Taiwo Oyedele, chairperson of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, appeared before the Senate to explain the bills’ objectives.
Despite these clarifications, Ndume and other northern lawmakers remain unconvinced. “These bills appear to have hidden motives, and we must tread cautiously,” Ndume reportedly told colleagues during the debate.
The bills have now been referred to the Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Sani Musa (APC-Niger State), for further scrutiny.
However, northern groups and critics have called for immediate suspension of the legislative process, citing the lack of adequate consultation and understanding of the bills’ implications.
The cleric said, “Enacting a law is a long process which allows all concerned parties to contribute to its development, and the lawmakers have to deliberate on it; make consultation, debate, and public hearings have to take place before approval, but this particular law, they are using force to actualise it within the shortest period.”
Ibrahim said President Tinubu insisted on bills despite opposition from the National Economic Council, Northern Governors’ Forum, which identified grey areas in them.
He said, “The president’s insistence on the tax reform bill is either he is not aware of the hardship Nigerians are going through, or he lacks empathy by planning to add more tax burden on Nigerians, especially on VAT which is why they are gradually withdrawing cash in circulation. With this, any transaction, including buying Maggie cube, you have to pay tax.”
Without providing evidence, Ibrahim also claimed Lagos stands to benefit more from the tax reform bills. “He is not fair and just to other Nigerian states who voted for him, especially the north, and we are still aware that Lagos was won by the Labour Party, not APC. Despite this, the president is giving them preferential treatment”, the cleric said.
“We are calling on you to fear God and suspend the tax reform bills as suggested by the National Economic Council”, he added.
“We must salute our Senator Ali Ndume for his firm opposition to the tax reform bill. We are also calling on other lawmakers supporting it to refrain from it because they are not representing the will of their people.
“They must not disappoint their people. If they agree with the bill to be passed into law, we will pray to God to punish them,” the cleric said.
Also, the president of the Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN), Bashir Umar, said his group met the deputy senate president over the bill.
Umar said they tabled their concerns and sought an audience with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajuddeen Abbas. The cleric said the lawmakers promised to address their concerns.
Some clerics in the northern part of the country were captured in a trending video criticising the bills.
But the senator for Jigawa Northwest district, Babangida Hussaini, said the bills passing a second reading is just an introductory aspect. He said another aspect is the public hearing.
Hussaini said the public hearing stage is where all the stakeholders, including the House Committee on Finance, will provide input and declare their position after scrutinising the bills.
“We are representing the people, we will not allow anything to harm them, and we are going to address all issues during the public hearing. The northern senators have met over the situation.
“There are about two or three steps for these bills to become law. There is nothing to worry about; we are on top of the situation, and we will do the right thing as the representatives of the people,” he said.
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