Governor Zulum Criticizes Tinubu’s Tax Reform, Claims Only Lagos and Rivers Will Benefit

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, has once again voiced his dissatisfaction with the tax reform bills introduced by the Tinubu-led administration, arguing that only states like Lagos and Rivers would benefit from the proposed changes.

Speaking on Channels Television on December 1, the governor stated, “There are many misconceptions about this tax issue. Based on our calculations, only Lagos and Rivers States will benefit from the new VAT provisions. Our research suggests we would lose out.”

Zulum questioned the rush to implement the reforms, urging the Federal Government to pause and reconsider certain clauses that, he believes, could harm Northern Nigeria. “We advised the Federal Government to take a step back and revise some aspects of the tax law before moving forward. What we’re asking for is more time and deeper consultations to fully understand the impact of this tax regime,” he said.

The governor warned that if the bill is passed by the National Assembly, many states would be disadvantaged, with Lagos State being the primary beneficiary.

Reflecting on his support for power rotation, Zulum reiterated that he was one of the few governors who advocated for power to shift to the South ahead of the 2023 general elections. He also addressed claims that Northern Nigeria is opposed to President Tinubu’s government, emphasizing that over 60 percent of the votes in the 2023 elections came from the North.

“As a strong member of the APC, I was one of the first governors to publicly support the move for power to go to the South,” he stated. “Some people are spreading the false notion that the North is against Tinubu, but 60.2 percent of his votes came from the North.”