Tax Reform Bill: Senate Divided Over Tinubu Economic Team’s Presence in Plenary

A mild drama unfolded at the National Assembly on Wednesday as the Senate debated whether to allow President Bola Tinubu’s economic team members to attend plenary.

The confrontation highlighted the tension surrounding the Tax Reform Bills, with lawmakers split over the procedural appropriateness of inviting the economic experts into the chamber.

Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), had moved to suspend Order 12, which governs who may be allowed into the Senate plenary, to permit the attendance of key officials from the economic team.

“Tax experts, consultants, the Director-General of the Budget Office, and the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue, Zacchaeus Adedeji, are here to explain the Tax Reform Bills in detail,” Bamidele said, outlining the importance of the debate for lawmakers.

However, Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) opposed this motion, pointing to Senate rules.

“This issue should be dealt with at the committee level, particularly by the Finance Committee, not in plenary,” Ningi argued, urging that the matter be referred to the appropriate committee for further deliberation.

In response, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau (APC, Kano North) defended the motion.

“We are suspending the rule for transparency, so Nigerians can witness the debate and hear directly from those who will explain the reform,” Barau said.

He also clarified that the suspension of Order 12 allowed the discussion to unfold openly.

Bamidele, further clarifying his motion, stated that the suspension of Order 12, combined with the invocation of Order 1B (which allows the Senate to regulate its procedure where no specific rule exists), was essential for the people’s understanding of the Tax Reform Bills.

“Let Nigerians know, let us hear these experts,” he added.

Despite these explanations, the debate escalated when Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South) questioned the motion’s absence in the official Order Paper.

He argued that the issue should have been highlighted. “This important matter should have been listed for discussion or postponed for another day,” Ndume said.

Barau quickly ruled Ndume out of order, dismissing his concerns as rhetoric. Tensions continued to rise when Ndume demanded an apology from Barau, accusing him of insulting his comment.

Barau, however, responded with laughter, stating that “rhetoric” was not an insult, leading to another ruling in Ndume’s favour.

Despite the clashes, the economic team was ultimately allowed into the plenary, marking a dramatic moment in the ongoing legislative process surrounding the Tax Reform Bills.