The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of prioritising money and revenue generation over the welfare of Nigerians following his insistence on the January 1, 2026 commencement of the new Tax Act despite alleged discrepancies in the law.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the opposition party called for the immediate suspension of the Tax Act’s commencement date, citing differences between the harmonised version passed by the National Assembly and the version later gazetted.
The PDP said Nigerians from various walks of life had expressed strong objections to what it described as the “smuggling in of very dangerous provisions” that were earlier expunged by the parliament.
According to the party, citizens have demanded a thorough investigation to determine how the alleged illegal insertions occurred and who was responsible.
“Rather than address these issues comprehensively, the Presidency has consciously minimised them and instead vehemently insisted that the commencement date must stand, despite the discrepancies,” the party stated.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that President Tinubu announced that his government will commence the implementation of Nigeria’s new tax laws on January 1, 2026, as scheduled, despite ongoing public controversy over alleged alterations to some provisions of the legislation.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, and signed by himself, President Tinubu said the new tax laws, including laws that already took effect on June 26, 2025, would proceed without delay, describing the reforms as critical to strengthening the country’s fiscal framework.
“The new tax laws, including those that took effect on June 26, 2025, and the remaining acts scheduled to commence on January 1, 2026, will continue as planned,” the President stated.
Tinubu described the reforms as “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a fair, competitive, and robust fiscal foundation” for Nigeria, stressing that the measures were not introduced to increase taxes but to overhaul the system.
According to him, the tax laws “are not designed to raise taxes, but rather to support a structural reset, drive harmonisation, and protect dignity while strengthening the social contract.”
The President urged stakeholders across the public and private sectors to support the implementation phase, noting that the reform process had now moved firmly into the delivery stage.
Addressing concerns over alleged changes to some sections of the tax laws after their passage, Tinubu acknowledged the public discourse but dismissed calls for a halt in implementation.
But the PDP argued that the government’s stance “clearly shows where the priority of the government lies, between Nigerians and money,” accusing the Tinubu administration of consistently placing fiscal considerations above citizens’ welfare since assuming office in 2023.
It referenced the removal of fuel subsidy, which it described as “reckless,” saying the policy announcement and implementation had an immediate and damaging impact on the economy and caused ordinary Nigerians to suffer “irreparable economic damage.”
The party further reminded President Tinubu that he was elected to serve the people and should be responsive to public concerns.
It noted that he won the 2023 presidential election with less than 40 per cent of the votes cast, arguing that this placed a greater responsibility on him to listen to Nigerians rather than, in its words, “serve the narrow interests of people around him.”
Drawing a comparison with a previous administration, the PDP recalled that a PDP-led government in 2012 reversed plans to fully remove fuel subsidy after nationwide protests by Nigerians and civil society organisations, a movement in which it said Tinubu played a prominent role at the time.
“Obedience to laws in a democracy is directly linked to the belief that elected legislators have deliberated upon and approved them,” the statement added.
“A mere suspicion, let alone a confirmed fact, that unapproved sections have been smuggled into a law with the capacity to affect all Nigerians is sufficient reason to suspend its commencement.”
The PDP therefore reiterated its demand for the suspension of the Tax Act’s commencement date pending the conclusion of a comprehensive investigation, warning that failure to do so would reinforce the perception that “money, not the people, is the priority” of the current administration.
