Senator Adams Oshiomhole has praised President Bola Tinubu’s new tax policy, describing it as consistent with the principles of a progressive government that fairly distributes tax burdens.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, the Edo North lawmaker said he was among the lawmakers who supported the tax bill that eventually became law.
Channels Television
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🔹 Progressive Tax Shift Oshiomhole explained that the Tinubu tax policy is progressive because it shifts the tax burden from the poor to the rich.
“The facts on the ground show that President Tinubu’s tax policy is consistent with the values of a progressive government,” he said.
“And this is a progressive tax policy that places a higher burden on those who earn more while offering tax exemptions to those who earn less.”
Support for the PolicyThe former Edo State governor emphasized that he fully supports the new tax policy, noting that no government can function without taxes. “It is only in Nigeria that people talk about government using money or claim that government earns money on its own,” he explained.
“Governments do not earn money; citizens earn income, and the government taxes those earnings whether individual or corporate. The sum of these taxes determines the annual revenue of the state.”
Oshiomhole also stressed that working families will benefit under the new tax regime, observing that most salary earners fall within the exempt or lower-tax bands.
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On Value Added Tax (VAT), the senator noted that the average Nigerian worker need not worry, as VAT primarily affects luxury purchases. He criticized Nigerians who pay VAT abroad but complain when paying the same tax in Nigeria, pointing out that VAT on non-food items is standard globally.
Implementation and Government PositionDespite public debates and criticisms, President Tinubu in December 2025 reaffirmed that the new tax laws would take effect from January 1, 2026.
He explained that the tax laws were not intended to raise taxes arbitrarily, but to support a structural reset, promote harmonization, protect citizens’ dignity, and strengthen the social contract, urging all Nigerians to support the implementation of the policy.
Image Credit: Channelstv
Source: Channelstv
