January 25, 2026 | News | SUNTV Global Channel
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has raised a red flag over Nigeria’s controversial tax reform laws, warning that state governors—and Nigerians at large—remain in the dark about what was actually passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.
Makinde made the remarks while speaking at a public event attended by former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, where he openly lamented Osinbajo’s departure from office and what he described as a steady decline in transparency and consultative decision-making under the current administration.
“Sir, I personally miss you in that position,” Makinde said, drawing applause from the audience. “Things are not really the same.”
COVID-19 Experience as a Contrast
The governor recalled his early days in office during the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, describing a tense National Economic Council (NEC) meeting where an immediate nationwide lockdown was proposed.
“I was barely seven months into office. That was my first public service job. The meeting was hot,” Makinde recounted.
According to him, while several governors pushed for an immediate blanket lockdown, Osinbajo—who chaired the council at the time—allowed room for opposing views and state-specific strategies.
“For Oyo State people, the reason I did not lock down during COVID was because of his decision,” Makinde said, crediting Osinbajo’s leadership style for allowing governors to act based on local realities.
Tax Bill: ‘Bring It Back, Let’s Look at It’
Makinde said that same spirit of consultation was completely absent in the handling of the recently passed tax reform bill, which has sparked nationwide controversy.
“We had the same situation in this dispensation with the tax bill,” he said. “We asked them to bring it back so we could all look at it dispassionately.”
According to the governor, objections raised by state governments were brushed aside, with dissent treated as unacceptable.
“And we know where we are today,” Makinde added. “The tax bill—we don’t know what was passed at the National Assembly. We don’t even know what was signed into law.”
Allegations of Illegal Alterations
Makinde’s comments come amid growing controversy surrounding the tax laws. The House of Representatives has since confirmed that illegal alterations were made to parts of Nigeria’s newly gazetted tax reform legislation.
An Ad-hoc Committee of the House Minority Caucus, set up to probe the matter, revealed in an interim report that there were unauthorized changes between the versions of the bills passed by lawmakers and those later published in the official gazette.
The committee identified the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025, as containing the most significant discrepancies.
The probe was triggered after a motion by lawmaker Abdulsamad Dasuki, who alerted the House that the tax laws in circulation differed from what legislators had approved.
Concerns Over Federalism and Governance
Civil society groups, policy analysts, and state governments have continued to criticise the tax reforms, arguing that the process lacked transparency and meaningful consultation, with potential consequences for Nigeria’s federal structure and fiscal governance.
Reiterating his admiration for Osinbajo’s leadership style, Makinde said Nigeria has lost an important internal check that once encouraged dialogue and balanced decision-making.
“So when I say I miss you,” he concluded, “I miss you so much, sir.”
