Taiwo Oyedele, who chairs the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, addressed mounting criticism during a television interview Monday. The administration has faced backlash over alleged inconsistencies between tax bills approved by lawmakers and the official versions released to the public after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed them into law.
Oyedele cautioned that stalling the reforms would maintain a system that disproportionately burdens everyday workers and small enterprises. He pointed out that resistance to the changes existed well before the recent controversy over possible alterations to the legislation.
“Even before questions about alterations arose, various groups were demanding we suspend or reject these reforms entirely. Our biggest challenge has been combating misinformation,” Oyedele explained. “Some have recruited well-meaning Nigerians to oppose reforms designed to help the majority, primarily by spreading fear.”