The 36 state governors of the federation have unilaterally demanded the immediate withdrawal of the National Tax Reforms Bill, delivering a significant strategic blow to the comprehensive efforts undertaken by the Taiwo Oyedele-led Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms committee.
The governors, speaking during the National Economic Council – Nigeria’s highest economic advisory body – meeting on Thursday, asked President Bola Tinubu to withdraw the Reforms Bill from the National Assembly for more comprehensive consultations.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, announced this as part of resolutions reached at the council’s 144th meeting chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the State House, Abuja.
Makinde told journalists that council members agreed that it was necessary to allow for consensus building and understanding of the bills among Nigerians.
The meeting, which included a presentation by Oyedele, ultimately failed to persuade the governors regarding Tinubu’s plan to overhaul the taxation system aimed at achieving effective economic growth and increasing the tax-to-Gross Domestic Product ratio.