You Can’t Tax Poverty — Opposition Bloc Demands Immediate Suspension Of Tinubu’s Tax Regime

Nigeria’s opposition movement has warned that the Bola Tinubu’s proposed tax regime could worsen the country’s deepening social and economic crisis, accusing the administration of imposing harsh fiscal policies on citizens already overwhelmed by poverty, insecurity, and rising living costs.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, the National Opposition Movement (NOM) described the planned tax measures as punitive and ill-timed, insisting they amount to an attack on the survival of ordinary Nigerians rather than genuine reform.

The briefing was addressed by Chile Igbawua, who spoke on behalf of the movement, alongside other leaders, including former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, as well as representatives of civil society and allied political blocs.

The group said Nigeria was standing at a threshold of multidimensional ‘failure,’ pointing to worsening insecurity, hunger, unemployment, homelessness, and a steady decline in quality of life.

It argued that instead of urgently addressing these challenges, the Tinubu administration was more focused on political interests and elite preservation than on the welfare of citizens.

“Nigeria stands at the edge of a multidimensional national failure. At no time in our history has life been so short, so brutish and so miserable for ordinary citizens,” the movement said.

According to the opposition, global development indicators now place Nigeria among countries with the lowest quality of life in the world, even below some of its poorer West African neighbours.

It warned that persistent governance failures in Africa’s most populous nation could have far-reaching consequences for democracy, security, and human development across the sub-region.

The movement said it was particularly alarmed that the government intended to introduce what it described as the most exploitative tax regime in Nigeria’s history at a time when households and businesses were still grappling with the effects of fuel subsidy removal, currency depreciation, food inflation, and rising electricity tariffs.

In a list of demands, the National Opposition Movement called for the immediate suspension of the tax plan, nationwide consultations involving labour, civil society, professionals, small businesses, and state governments, and the introduction of strong social protection guarantees tied to any future reform.

It urged the government to prioritise taxing luxury consumption, excess profits, monopolies, and corruption rather than burdening low-income earners.

“Nigeria does not suffer from low taxation. Nigeria suffers from waste, corruption, mismanagement, and policy arrogance. You do not fix government failure by billing its victims,” the group said.

The movement warned that pushing through the tax plan without broad consultation would leave the government fully responsible for any social and economic consequences, stressing that its position was not a threat but a reflection of growing frustration across the country.