APC Governors To Meet NASS Members Over Controversial Tax Bills

The governors elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have scheduled a meeting with members of the National Assembly as consultations over the controversial tax reform bills continue.

The planned meeting follows a parley with President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday night, attended by key cabinet members and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas.

According to sources within the Presidency and the Progressives Governors’ Forum who spoke with Punch, the session with Tinubu discussed the tax bills and strategies for ensuring a smooth legislative process.

Governors in attendance included Progressive Governors’ Forum Chairman Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Mohammed Bago (Niger), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Usman Ododo (Kogi), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), and Hyacinth Alia (Benue).

Key cabinet members present were Zacch Adedeji, Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS); Abubakar Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning; and Idris Mohammed, Minister of Information.

“The meeting had to do with this issue of President Tinubu’s tax reform bills and how to make governors, elected officials and stakeholders understand their benefits and address the grey areas they are still having doubts about,” the source said.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, Uzodinma said the session centred on the APC mid-term congress and ways to solidify the party structure.

“We had a caucus meeting with our party to discuss how to manage our mid-term congress and strengthen our party to support Mr President to succeed,” he stated.

According to the federal government, the tax reform bills will shield small companies from paying taxes and establish a system for addressing cases of tax avoidance and evasion.

However, northern governors and lawmakers, who insisted the reforms were against the region, have stiffly opposed them.

The 19 northern governors rejected certain VAT provisions in the bills and insisted on withdrawing them from the National Assembly.

According to Punch, the APC governors will seek to secure the support of lawmakers and other political stakeholders in another round of meetings scheduled for Thursday night.

Sources said the move aimed to address the opposition to the bills and ensure they were given a smooth passage at the National Assembly.