By RismadarVoice Media
December 31, 2025
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has renewed its call for the suspension of the commencement date of the recently enacted Tax Act, citing alleged discrepancies between the harmonized version passed by the National Assembly and the version eventually gazetted.
In a press statement issued on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the party said Nigerians from different walks of life have expressed strong displeasure over what it described as the “smuggling” of “dangerous provisions” into the law, provisions it claimed were earlier expunged by the parliament.
The statement, signed by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, called for a thorough investigation to determine how the alleged insertions were made, who was responsible.
According to the opposition party, instead of addressing public concerns, resolving the alleged anomalies, the Presidency has insisted that the commencement date of the Tax Act must stand.
“The disposition of the Presidency clearly shows where the priority of the government lies between Nigerians and money,” the party said.
The PDP accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of consistently prioritizing revenue considerations over the welfare of Nigerians since assuming office in 2023.
It cited the removal of fuel subsidy as an example, describing the policy as “recklessly implemented” and alleging that it caused widespread economic hardship for citizens.
The party further reminded President Tinubu that, as an elected leader, he is accountable to Nigerians, and that he should be responsive to their concerns.
“The President should remember that he is an employee of the people, should listen to his employers,” the statement said, adding that the President won the 2023 election with less than 40 per cent of the votes cast, therefore has a duty to be particularly attentive to public opinion.
Drawing a comparison with past administrations, the PDP recalled that a previous PDP-led government in 2012 listened to public protests and civil society groups over the removal of fuel subsidy, a process in which President Tinubu, then an opposition figure, reportedly played a prominent role.
The party argued that public trust in laws passed in a democratic setting depends on the belief that elected representatives thoroughly debated and approved such legislation.
“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 stated.
The party therefore reiterated its demand that the implementation of the Tax Act be suspended pending the conclusion of a comprehensive investigation, warning that failure to do so would further reinforce the perception that the government places revenue above the interests of Nigerians
