The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has launched a stinging critique against the President Bola Tinubu administration, accusing it of prioritizing revenue collection over the welfare of Nigerians by insisting on the January 1, 2026, commencement date for the new Tax Act.
The New Daily Prime earlier reported that Tinubu confirmed that Nigeria’s landmark tax reforms will take effect as scheduled on January 1, 2026 In a statement released yesterday, the main opposition party reiterated its call for an immediate suspension of the law.
The PDP cited grave concerns over alleged “illegal insertions” and discrepancies between the version of the bill passed by the National Assembly and the copy officially gazetted for public use.
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The PDP, through its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, raised an alarm over reports that dangerous provisions—previously expunged by lawmakers during deliberations—had been “smuggled” back into the final legal document.
The party noted that Nigerians from all walks of life are demanding to know who carried out these alterations.
Rather than pausing to investigate these claims, the Presidency has moved to implement the laws, a move the PDP describes as a “normalization of absurdity.”
“A mere suspicion, let alone a confirmed fact, that unapproved sections have been smuggled into a law is sufficient reason to suspend its commencement,” Ememobong stated.
“The President must act in favor of the people; to do otherwise confirms that money, not the people, is the priority.”
Drawing parallels to the 2023 fuel subsidy removal, the PDP accused the current administration of a consistent “finance-first” approach that disregards the suffering of ordinary citizens.
The party reminded Tinubu that he is an “employee of the people” who won the election with less than 40% of the votes, making it his primary duty to listen to his “employers.”
The PDP’s primary demands include the immediate suspension of the law’s implementation, with a call to delay its January 1, 2026 start date by at least six months.
The party also demanded a thorough investigation to identify those responsible for the alleged fraudulent alterations of the legislative text.
In addition, it called for extensive public enlightenment campaigns to educate Nigerians on the authentic and verified version of the law.
The statement referenced the 2012 anti-subsidy protests, noting that the then-PDP administration deferred to the voices of civil society and citizens—protests in which Tinubu himself played a prominent role.
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The party argued that ignoring the current outcry undermines the very foundation of democratic governance and parliamentary sovereignty.
“Obedience to laws in a democracy is directly linked to the belief that elected legislators have deliberated upon and approved them,” the party added, warning that enforcing a disputed law could lead to legal chaos and further erode public trust.
