Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, on Sunday explained why the northern governors advised President Bola Tinubu to withdraw the controversial tax reform bills.
The governor who appeared as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, said the Northern Governors Forum only needs time for consultation.
He argued that contrary to some insinuations in some quarters, the northern governors are not against President Tinubu’s administration.
Zulum explained that if the bill scales through the National Assembly, states would be shortchanged as only Lagos State would be the main beneficiary of the policy.
According to him, the north cannot be against Tinubu as over 60 per cent of his votes in the 2023 general elections came from the region.
In October, President Tinubu asked the National Assembly to assent to the pass the bills into law.
The bills are the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill, 2024 -SB.583; The Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) BILL, 2024- SB.584; The Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, 2024-SB.585; and the Nigeria Tax Bill, 2024 – SB.586.
But on November 28, the tax reform bills passed a second reading in the Senate.
