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Tax Bills: We Are Not Sure What Was Approved — Makinde Raises Concern

Published by admin on January 26th, 2026.

Tax Bills: We Are Not Sure What Was Approved — Makinde Raises Concern

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has expressed serious concern over the way the Federal Government handled the recent tax reform bill, saying that neither state governors nor Nigerians are certain about what was finally passed by the National Assembly and signed into law.

Makinde made the remarks while speaking at a public event attended by former Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo. During his speech, the governor said he missed Osinbajo’s leadership style, which he described as open, inclusive, and supportive of consultation.

According to Makinde, things have changed under the current administration, and decisions are no longer made with enough dialogue. He said Osinbajo’s presence in government encouraged healthy debate and balanced decision-making.

The governor recalled how, during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, he had just become governor and attended his first National Economic Council meeting. At the time, there was pressure to impose a nationwide lockdown, but Osinbajo allowed governors to express different views.

Makinde said this approach helped him decide not to fully lock down Oyo State, considering the local realities of his people. He explained that such flexibility benefited many states during the pandemic.

He added that the same level of consultation was missing during discussions on the recent tax bill. According to him, governors had asked that the bill be reviewed carefully and discussed openly, but their concerns were ignored.

“We asked for the bill to be brought back so we could study it properly, but that did not happen,” Makinde said. “Now, we don’t even know exactly what was approved or signed.”

He stressed that the lack of clarity has created confusion and raised questions about transparency in governance. He again praised Osinbajo for providing internal checks and promoting cooperation within government.

The tax reform law has continued to attract criticism from state governments, civil society groups, and policy experts. Many believe the process was rushed and did not allow for proper consultation, which could affect Nigeria’s federal system and financial management.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has confirmed that parts of the newly passed tax laws were altered illegally. A special committee set up to investigate the issue reported that some sections of the laws were changed without approval.

In its interim report, the committee said there were clear differences between the versions approved by lawmakers and those later published in the official gazette. The Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025, was said to contain the most serious changes.

The investigation began after a lawmaker, Abdulsamad Dasuki, raised concerns that the published laws did not match what was passed in parliament. The discovery has further increased public worry over the handling of the tax reform process.