Atiku, Others Make 5 Major Demands From Tinubu's Govt Amid Tax Reforms, Full List Emerges

• Atiku Abubakar and his allies have called for a halt to efforts to amend Nigeria’s tax laws, challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s plan to raise revenue to cover a widening budget gap
• President Tinubu promised to revamp Nigeria’s tax laws, some of which the Nigerian leader argued are cumbersome
• The National Opposition Movement (NOM) declared that if the current tax plan is "forced through without suspension and consultation," the government will be fully responsible for the consequences

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering elections, politics, public affairs and governance in Nigeria and Africa.

FCT, Abuja - Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, on Wednesday, December 17, 2025, criticised President Bola Tinubu’s government over the tax reforms.

Legit.ng reports that speaking at a State of the Nation press conference at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, the presidential hopeful said Nigerians already ‘suffer from waste, corruption, mismanagement and policy arrogance,’ adding that the Tinubu administration should not ‘fix government failure by billing the victims.’

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Taxation: Atiku tackles Tinubu

Paul Ibe, media adviser to Atiku, shared the full text of the press conference by the National Opposition Movement (NOM) on his verified X (formerly Twitter) page.

Atiku, a key member of the NOM, said:

"Tinubu is not focused on governance. He is focused on brazen exploitation. We reject this tax because the timing is cruel, and the logic is irrational. Fuel subsidy removal, naira collapse, food inflation, and rising electricity tariffs have already pushed households and small businesses to the edge. Introducing an aggressive tax regime now, not only shows but indeed confirms the widely held belief of a government dangerously out of touch with reality.

"As an oligarch and authoritarian, Tinubu, by this tax plan, concentrates enormous powers in the hands of revenue authorities in a country with weak safeguards. Account access (already being enforced), penalties, and automated enforcement without strong oversight invite abuse.

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"When citizens fear the taxman more than they trust the government, something is fundamentally wrong."

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, therefore, listed the coalition's five demands as follows:

1. Immediate suspension of the tax plan’s take-off date.
2. Nationwide consultation involving labour, civil society, SMEs, professionals, and states.
3. Explicit social protection guarantees tied to any tax reform.
4. A focus on taxing luxury, excess profits, monopolies, and corruption, not poverty.
5. Strong legal safeguards to protect taxpayer rights.

Read more on Atiku Abubakar:

• Cleric releases 2026 prophecies, seeks prayers for Atiku, VeryDarkMan as full message emerges
• 2027 election: Peter Obi predicted to align with Tinubu, "he will never agree to work with the coalition"

Atiku takes swipe at Tinubu

Legit.ng earlier reported that Atiku said that over two years after taking the reins, there is no sign that President Tinubu can address the prevailing hunger and poverty in the country.

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The opposition leader, who described the hunger in the country as unacceptable, especially for the underprivileged poor and downtrodden, asserted that “most violent socio-political eruptions and revolutions all over the world had often been powered by pervasive hunger and unbearable material conditions – especially the paradox of squalor amidst plenty in our land.”

Source: Legit.ng