Northern Assembly rejects disputed tax law, warns of resistance, political fallout

From Sola Ojo, Abuja

The Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA) has outrightly rejected the newly introduced tax law by the President Bola Tinubu administration, describing it as “governance by ambush”.

The group warned that its implementation beginning next month, could trigger fierce resistance and serious political consequences.

In a strongly worded statement by its Speaker, Mohammed Salihu Danlami, the Assembly said its rejection was prompted by disturbing revelations that the tax law as gazetted and presented to the public differs significantly from the version debated and approved by the National Assembly.

According to the group, any discrepancy between what lawmakers passed and what was officially published amounts to a direct assault on democratic principles.

“If the law presented to Nigerians is not the same law debated and passed by their elected representatives, then democracy itself is being subverted,” the statement read.

The Assembly argued that legislation represented the collective will of the people and must not be altered after parliamentary approval.

Any post-approval modification, it said, constituted deception, a violation of due process, and a betrayal of public trust.

The group further alleged that while the National Assembly approved a tax framework following deliberations and amendments, the gazetted version reportedly contains provisions never discussed or sanctioned by legislators.

“This is not a minor clerical issue, it is a constitutional crisis that suggests executive overreach, legislative fraud, and a dangerous disregard for the rule of law,” the Assembly stated.

The youth body noted that its opposition was also rooted in the prevailing economic hardship facing Nigerians, particularly in Northern Nigeria, where poverty, unemployment, inflation, and insecurity remain widespread.

“A government that cannot uphold legislative integrity has no moral authority to impose additional fiscal burdens on a suffering population,” it said.

AYA rejected what it described as “extortion disguised as policy” and warned against imposing economic pain through a law whose legality is in serious doubt.