*Commends NLC, TUC for standing against ‘anti-people’ policies
By Luminous Jannamike
ABUJA – Nigeria’s opposition movement on Wednesday warned that the Federal Government’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 Hon. 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.
“What the President is rolling out is not tax reform. It is an assault on the livelihood of ordinary Nigerians,” Igbawua said.
The opposition criticised provisions requiring all adults of taxable age, including the unemployed, to file tax returns, as well as obligations compelling business owners to file returns for employees earning below taxable thresholds.
It described the policy as ‘mindless’ in a country burdened by mass unemployment, poor digital infrastructure, and weak public institutions.
It warned that small and medium-scale enterprises, already struggling to survive in a hostile economic environment, were being pushed closer to collapse without any meaningful government support.
“You cannot tax hunger. You cannot tax poverty. And you cannot tax people into prosperity,” the movement declared.
Beyond taxation, the group accused the Tinubu administration of overseeing unprecedented levels of state capture, secrecy, and corruption, alleging that public institutions had increasingly been turned into private instruments serving elite and family interests.
It cited unresolved corruption cases, opaque agreements involving revenue agencies, and allegations against top regulators as signs of a serious breakdown in transparency and accountability.
“Nigerians are being asked to pay more without being promised anything in return, no better hospitals, no better schools, no security, no jobs,” the statement said.
The opposition aligned itself with organised labour, commending the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) for resisting policies it said had pushed millions deeper into poverty.
It also praised opposition leaders who recently spoke out against what it described as growing authoritarianism and economic mismanagement.
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.
“Nigeria is hurting, and the suffering people have limits. President Tinubu should let Nigerians breathe,” the opposition added.
The post ‘You can’t tax hunger’ — Opposition warns Tinubu appeared first on Vanguard News.
