By Desire Emmanuel
The National Opposition Movement, led by the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday said Nigeria is at a threshold of multidimensional failure because it is unsafe to travel across cities, poverty is worsening, homelessness and starvation are realities that the citizens face.
The opposition movement said this at a press conference held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, where the members demanded the immediate suspension of the take-off date of the new tax policy.
The opposition disclosed at the press conference that at no time in the history of the country has life been so short, so brutish and so miserable for the citizens.
Text of the statement: “We called this press conference today because Nigeria is at a threshold of multidimensional failure. It is unsafe to travel across Nigerian cities. Poverty is worsening, and homelessness and starvation are realities that Niger face.
“At no time in the history of the country has life been so short, so brutish and so miserable for citizens. Global economic index rates Nigeria as the country with the lowest quality of life, lower than our poor neighbours like Benin, Togo and Niger Republic. The tragedy is that the Federal Government is compounding this multidimensional failure by focusing on its political interests and not the security and welfare of the Nigerian people.
“As Nigeria drifts into multidimensional failure, many patriotic citizens are worried that the imminent collapse of Nigerian democracy through the comprehensive incompetence and corruption of the Tinubu administration would gravely compromise the security and human development crises in West Africa.
“These patriotic citizens are now coming together under the umbrella of the Nigeria Opposition Movement, to keep vigil on the developments around security and prosperity of the Nigerian people under the mismanagement of the Tinubu administration and to raise our voices as sentinels of national liberation and transformation.
“We are worried the several failures of the Tinubu administration has not elicited the right kind of response from Nigerian political class. But we are elated to note that on the 14th of December, we woke up to the gratifying news of a statement from a select group of leaders who chose to identify with the people by speaking out against tyranny.
“We deeply commend their courage and commitment to the cause of the voiceless downtrodden. Posterity will forever acknowledge their act of selflessness and patriotism. We also note with approval the efforts by the organised Labour through the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress to challenge the massive impoverishment of Nigerians through Tinubu’s self-serving economic policies. We associate with the NLC and the TUC in their heroic efforts in the tradition of organized labour in Nigeria to fight for dignity and freedom of the working people.
“The situation in Nigeria today is terrible. Many Nigerians can barely afford food, transport, security, or pay their electricity bills and rents. It is sad that at a time as this that the Tinubu administration is preparing to roll out the most punitive and exploitative tax regime in the history of Nigeria.
“Even the colonial authority in its viciousness did not contemplate taxing poor Nigerians the way Tinubu plans at the beginning of the years. The viciousness of this administration shows that Nigeria would be hit with these exploitative and inhuman tax regimes in January when they do not have the fiscal space for such sacrifices.
This exploitative tax regime points to the thoughtlessness of the Tinubu administration and its unyielding commitment to cater to the financial interests of the oligarchs to the detriment of the ordinary Nigerians who he continues to punish with all manners of taxes and raising prices.
“Let us be clear, what President Tinubu is rolling out in January is not a tax reform; it is an assault on the livelihood of ordinary Nigerians who he has not hidden his contempt and whose prosperity is not part of the agenda of his government.
“According to the new tax law, all adults of taxable age, whether employed or not, must file a tax return between January 1 and 31st March 2026 after which sanction for non-filling will begin to apply. For owners of companies, you must file for all your employees even if they are paid below the taxable bracket. Remember, you cannot make the filling if you do not have Tax Identification Number.
“This is so mindless. In a country where over 70 million are unemployed, where people do not have good access to internet services and where the level of service delivery from state institutions are poor or almost non-existent, President Tinubu has set up an exploitative racket against innocent Nigerians. This reads like a strategy from the infamous Lagos governance. Small and medium businesses are struggling to survive under a bad policy environment. Yet, Tinubu continues to pile pressure on them and does not provide any serious business support
“By the new tax plan, Nigerian earning less than minimum wage will be heavily taxed. The government has removed all subsidies and exposed low wage earners and the unemployed to high tariffs. Still, the government intends to overtax them, creating damaging human development and truncating any prospect of serious and sustained economic growth.
“This government continues to ask Nigerians to give more and more while it allows those in public office to take more and more. Tinubu has brought Nigerians to their knees. But Tinubu will not relent till he brings Nigerians to the grave. We will not allow suffering Nigerians to be brought to the grave. We, as Nigerian Opposition Movement have decided to stand up in support of those opposition politicians who issued the letter a few days ago and the NLC and TUC to say enough is enough.
“This tax plan must not take off now. Its implementation must be suspended immediately. This is not tax reform. This tax is a weapon fashioned against the economic wellbeing and social security of suffering and poor Nigerian citizens.
“This government is asking Nigerians who have already been brought down on their knees by the weight of poverty and squalor and have nothing left to give, to give more. No. You cannot tax hunger. You cannot tax poverty. And you cannot tax people into prosperity.
“Since he came to office, President Tinubu has shown where his heart is. It is not with the Nigerian people. It is with the few oligarchs who are attached to his economic and political interest. The bad policies of the administration are intentionally so because Tinubu is not committed to prosperity of ordinary citizens. He is committed to getting and keeping political power as a tool of creating wealth for himself and his family and friends. This is bad for Nigeria.
“As leaders of conscience, we cannot justify Tinubu’s exploitative taxes against the poor in Nigeria because there is no evidence of prudence or due process in this administration. For the past two years and more, we have witnessed the most expansive state capture in Nigerian history. The nation’s revenue agencies like the NNPC and FIRS are reeking with grand corruption.
“The Tinubu administration does not recognize transparency and accountability. It continues to conduct its business in secrecy as if the Nigerian federation has become Tinubu family incorporated. For instance, why would the FIRS enter an MOU with a French agency regarding management of Nigerian tax regime and refuse to publicly disclose the contents of the MOU, especially in the circumstances where Tinubu has made France his second home and business centre? Does public interest not dictate that FIRS publishes the MOU since Nigerians are worried at the prospect of the business deal with France compromising Nigeria’s strategic national interests.
“OUR DEMANDS: The National Opposition Movement demands:
1. Immediate suspension of the tax plan’s take-off date
2. Nationwide consultation involving labour, civil society, SMEs, professionals, and states
3. Explicit social protection guarantees tied to any tax reform
4. A focus on taxing luxury, excess profits, monopolies, and corruption , not poverty
5. Strong legal safeguards to protect taxpayer rights
“Nigeria does not suffer from low taxation.
“We stand with Nigerian workers, traders, professionals, and small businesses.
“We will resist any policy that punishes the poor to excuse leadership failure.
“If this tax plan is forced through without suspension and consultation, the government will be fully responsible for the social and economic consequences.
“This is not a threat. It is a warning grounded in reality. Nigeria is hurting.
“And the suffering Nigerians have limits. Let us warn Tinubu and his enforcers, the crisis in the West Africa is a crisis of unaccountable governance, of authoritarian rule without accountability, and state capture guided by greed and arrogance.”
