The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has accused Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State of exploiting the ongoing debate around President Bola Tinubu’s tax reforms as a platform to propel his presidential ambitions for the 2027 elections....CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING.>>
Tuggar made the allegations during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, where he criticised the governor’s approach to the issue.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Tuggar claimed that while it is acceptable for governors to question the proposed tax reforms to ensure they benefit the country, Governor Mohammed’s approach was driven by ulterior motives.
He asserted, “Governor Bala Mohammed clearly demonstrated that he does not have any sincerity of purpose in his criticism of the president.”
According to Tuggar, the governor used the tax reform discussions not as a genuine effort to improve the policy, but as a vehicle for launching his presidential campaign well ahead of the 2027 election.
“Governor Mohammed was the most severe in his invectives towards the president and the administration,” Tuggar stated. “He used the criticism as a platform to push his own presidential ambition, which is apparent in the way he framed his attacks.”
The tensions began when Governor Mohammed publicly criticised the tax policy reforms, which he claimed would lead to anarchy, particularly within the northern regions of Nigeria.
Speaking to a Christian community in Bauchi on Boxing Day, he stated that the tax reforms were not in favour of the northern part of the country, and he expressed fears that they would leave governors unable to meet payroll obligations for public workers.
He further warned that if these reforms continued, the northern region would “show its true colours” in response.
The presidency swiftly condemned Governor Mohammed’s remarks, with a spokesperson describing his comments as a threat to the president.
The response clarified that Mohammed’s views were not representative of the entire northern region, distancing the presidency from his stance.
Despite the harsh criticism, Tuggar revealed that Governor Mohammed had attempted to secure a meeting with President Tinubu following his public condemnation of the tax reforms.
This, according to Tuggar, further underlined the governor’s opportunistic stance, as he sought to mend fences after launching an early political campaign based on his disagreements with the president’s policies.
In contrast, Nigerian governors, including those from the northern regions, showed support for the tax reforms during a meeting held on January 16, 2025. The governors endorsed the reform bills while proposing a new sharing formula for value-added tax (VAT), highlighting their ongoing commitment to revamping Nigeria’s outdated tax laws.
The decision came after a discussion between the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the Presidential Tax Reform Committee, which sought to ensure a more equitable distribution of tax revenues across the country.
Tuggar’s comments reveal a growing rift within Nigeria’s political leadership as the debate over tax reforms intensifies. While some governors are aligning with the federal government’s policy direction, others, like Governor Mohammed, continue to voice their concerns, setting the stage for potential political battles ahead.READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
