Withdraw your threats against Tinubu – Presidency warns Gov. Bala Mohammed

The Nigerian government is asking Bauchi State’s Governor, Bala Mohammed, to take back his ‘threatening’ comments toward President Bola Tinubu about new tax laws.

This comes after Mohammed warned that President Tinubu was “calling for anarchy” if he went forward with changing tax rules. The governor said this while speaking to Christians on Boxing Day in Bauchi. He warned that if these new policies continued, northern Nigeria would “show its true colours.” He also said these changes could hurt the economy and only seemed to help one state.

The President’s media advisor, Sunday Dare, responded on Monday with a statement on X (formerly Twitter), calling Mohammed’s words “inflammatory.” He asked the governor to take back what he said and instead have productive talks with the federal government about his concerns with the Tax Reform Act.

Dare explained that Mohammed doesn’t speak for everyone in northern Nigeria. Here’s what he said exactly:

“This unfortunate statement does not represent the collective voice of Northern Nigeria. The North, like other regions, seeks collaborative governance and constructive engagement with the Federal Government to address our nation’s challenges.

“Rather than issuing threats, his energy might be better directed toward implementing effective poverty alleviation programmes and ensuring transparent utilisation of these federal resources [N144bn received from FG]. The Tax Reform Act and increased federal allocations significantly benefit the States.”

Read Also: President Tinubu’s tax policies is anti Northern Nigeria – Bauchi Gov Bala

“His statement ‘We will show President Tinubu our true colour’ is particularly concerning and does not reflect the constructive dialogue needed between the state and FG.

“It bears noting that Bauchi State has received N144bn (State and LGA) in federal allocations under the current administration – a significant increase from previous disbursements. Yet his state continues to grapple with serious developmental challenges and high poverty rates. As a state governor, he is called to exemplify statesmanship and work toward national cohesion.”

The federal government pointed out that Bauchi State got N144 billion, which is one of the biggest increases in money given to states. This included N2 billion to help with food security. The government also mentioned that removing fuel subsidies has given states more money, and special considerations were made to protect northern states’ interests.

The government explained that the new tax changes would actually help small businesses in Bauchi by making tax collection simpler and protecting informal workers and farmers. These changes are part of President Tinubu’s bigger plan introduced in October 2024, which includes four new bills to update Nigeria’s tax system. One major change would increase the Value Added Tax from 7.5% to 10% by 2025, and add a 5% tax on telecommunications services.

Dare suggested that instead of fighting these changes, Governor Mohammed should focus on using the money wisely, creating tax incentives to attract businesses, and investing in farming. He ended by saying that Nigeria needs unity, not division, and included a Hausa saying: “Gyara kayanka baya zama sauke mu raba.”