Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has stated that Northern States’ governors cannot oppose President Bola Tinubu, whom they supported in bringing to office.
This comes after the Northern governors rejected the recent tax reform bill sent to the National Assembly by the Tinubu government.
The tax reform bill, forwarded to the Senate and House of Representatives on October 3, 2024, proposes reforms including changing the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS).
It also seeks to provide Value Added Tax (VAT) exemptions to oil and gas exports, crude petroleum oil, and feed gas for processed gas, as well as goods purchased for humanitarian donor-funded projects.
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During a Monday meeting at Government House, Kaduna, the Northern States’ Governors and Traditional Rulers Council had urged the National Assembly to “oppose any bill that can jeopardize the well-being of our people.”
However, on Wednesday, Governor Sule clarified the Governors’ stance on Channels Television, saying, “We cannot bring President Tinubu as a president, the North came in heavily to make sure Tinubu became the president, and then turn around and be against him.”
Sule emphasized that the issue lies in the VAT sharing formula, seeking fairness in distribution.
“What we said clearly is that we want fairness in the distribution of the VAT. If we go the way it is, we are going to say it will be unfair to some other states in the South.”
The Northern governors are advocating for equitable policy implementation across all geopolitical zones.
