Kano Assembly Rejects Tinubu’s Tax Reform Bills

At a plenary session led by Speaker Isma’il Falgore, the lawmakers voiced their strong opposition to the bills after extensive deliberation.

The Majority Leader, Lawan Husseini (ANPP-Dala), introduced a motion of “urgent public importance,” stressing the need for northern lawmakers and the Conference of Speakers to take action to block the bills.

Husseini argued that the bills, if enacted into law, would disproportionately harm the Northern States.

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He criticized the Senate for approving the bills, describing it as a “deliberate effort to sabotage the economy, increase hardship, and further impoverish the region.”

He raised concerns over the proposed VAT allocation system, which he said would lead to states like Lagos—home to major corporations, including Nigerian banks, telecommunications giants, and multinational companies—receiving the lion’s share of VAT revenue.

“Lagos and its surrounding areas would account for 80 percent of the VAT collected in Nigeria, leaving the northern states with a meager portion,” he pointed out.

Husseini warned that if the bill were passed, it could exacerbate economic challenges in the north, potentially making it harder for some states to pay salaries and worsening poverty levels.

Supporting the motion, Salisu Mohammed (APC-Doguwa) urged the Senate to focus on more urgent national issues, such as insecurity and unemployment, rather than rushing through the tax reforms.

Similarly, Murtala Kadage (ANPP-Garko) called for unity among lawmakers to prevent the passage of the bills for the benefit of the northern region.

The House resolved to call on northern members of both the Senate and House of Representatives, as well as the Conference of Speakers, to take swift and decisive action to block the bills.