Proposed tax bill: League of Northern Democrats backs governors

The League of Northern Democrats, LND, has endorsed the decision by northern governors to reject the proposed tax bills currently before the National Assembly proposed by President Bola Tinubu.

According to a former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, who convened the new political movement, the new proposal on VAT represented a deep-seated threat to the collective interests of the people of northern Nigeria and lacked rational or equitable justification.

Dr. Ladan Salihu, the spokesman of the movement in a statement in Abuja, said that LND, dedicated to the cause of justice, unity and sustainable development in northern Nigeria, views the proposed tax bills as an attempt to undermine the economic foundation of our region.

He further said, “This approach disregards the disparities in development needs, economic structures and revenue-generating capacities among Nigeria’s diverse regions.”

The bill, according to the statement, if passed, would aggravate inequality, stifle growth and erode the livelihoods of the hardworking people of the North.

Salihu called on all Northern legislators to stand as one in rejecting the bill.

He commended the governors for their courage and clarity in addressing the issues and assured them, as well as their legislators, that they have the unwavering support of the north.

“Let us stand united in pursuit of a more inclusive and equitable future for Northern Nigeria and our great nation,” the statement observed.