Presidential aspirant Peter Obi has called on the Federal Government to immediately halt the enforcement of Nigeria’s new tax law, warning that the legislation contains serious issues that make enforcement unfair to citizens.
In a statement on Tuesday, Obi said it is now clear that the tax laws have been fundamentally altered, citing a KPMG report which identified 31 critical problem areas, including drafting errors, policy contradictions, and administrative gaps.
He said the findings should prompt urgent government action.
Obi described it as concerning that the issues were only acknowledged after private meetings between the National Revenue Service and KPMG, questioning how ordinary Nigerians are expected to understand their tax obligations if experts require closed-door discussions to interpret the law.
“If professionals need private meetings to understand our tax laws, what hope does the average Nigerian have?” he asked.
He stressed that taxation is a social contract between government and citizens, arguing that enforcing a tax system without trust or clarity undermines that relationship.
Obi criticised the lack of public consultation before the tax law was finalised and noted that the new regime is being introduced at a time when Nigerians are already grappling with rising food prices, high transport costs, declining purchasing power, and growing poverty.
He urged the Federal Government to suspend enforcement of the law, engage the public openly, and rebuild trust before proceeding.
