Former presidential flag bearer of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachukwu has asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to suspend the implementation of the new tax reforms.
Kachikwu made the appeal in a New Year message released in Abuja on Wednesday, warning that introducing additional tax obligations at the start of 2026 would further worsen the hardship faced by Nigerians.
The politician likened the prevailing socio-economic conditions to biblical oppression, noting that the severity of hardship has pushed many Nigerians to question the direction of the administration.
Kachikwu acknowledged that Tinubu inherited a fragile economy on assumption of office, but faulted the policy direction so far, saying the remedies have deepened the suffering of ordinary citizens.
“Any reasonable Nigerian understands that upon assumption of office, our President was confronted with a comatose economy that needed urgent surgery.
“But this surgery has now decapitated the legs and arms of Nigerians who are supposed to be the beneficiaries of the economic resuscitation.
“Our president must understand that the major beneficiaries of his policies are the legal robbers who instigate government policies that mostly benefit their companies to the detriment of most Nigerians,” he said.
While conceding the need for reforms, Kachikwu said the timing and burden of the proposed tax measures were ill-advised.
“We understand the need for tax reforms, but an already overburdened populace can’t afford any more taxation,” he said.
He warned that the reforms could further shrink Nigeria’s middle class.
“This tax reform will further erode the ranks of the Nigerian middle-class. My fear is that if implemented as promised by our president, the tax reforms will instigate a crisis of unprecedented proportions,” he said.
Kachikwu urged the president to prioritise empathy and social protection in policy decisions, adding that he had supported some of the president’s initiatives in the past.
“But I must tell him today that I am not in support of this tax reform or any other reform that further decimates the livelihoods of ordinary Nigerians,” he said.
“He can’t champion his ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ whilst at the same time cutting short the hopes of Nigerians,” Kachikwu added.
