Peter Obi has shifted Nigeria’s tax debate from economics to legitimacy, warning that citizens are being asked to pay under a law he says may not even be the authentic version passed by parliament.
In a statement posted on his X handle on Friday, January 2, the former Labour Party presidential candidate described the ongoing controversy over alleged post‑passage changes to Nigeria’s new tax laws as a national red flag.
“This makes the ongoing tax fraud saga particularly alarming. For the first time in Nigeria’s history, a tax law has reportedly been forged.
“The National Assembly itself has admitted that the version gazetted is not what was passed into law,” Obi wrote.
Obi argued that taxation can only work when it is rooted in trust and transparency, describing it as a social contract that collapses when citizens are left in the dark about what they are paying for.
“If taxation is to function as a genuine social contract, it must be rooted in sincerity, fairness, and concern for the welfare of the people.
“Every tax policy should be clearly explained, including its impact on incomes and its expected contribution to national development,” he said.
Without that clarity, Obi warned, taxation becomes “a tool of confusion and burden rather than a mechanism for growth and development.”
He also said Nigeria’s larger problem is not revenue generation but the absence of a plan that makes citizens wealthier.
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“Nigeria must rethink taxation if it is serious about economic growth, national unity, and shared prosperity.
“The purpose of sound fiscal policy is not merely to raise revenue; it is to make the people wealthier so that the nation itself becomes stronger,” he stated.
Obi insisted that any celebration of rising revenue while living standards worsen is misplaced.
“There is no virtue in celebrating increased government revenue while the people grow poorer. Taxing poverty does not create wealth; it deepens hardship,” he said.
He argued that the surest route to a broader tax base is growth from below, driven by small businesses.
“The solution begins with empowering small and medium-sized enterprises in every community.
“When small businesses thrive, jobs are created, incomes rise, and the tax base expands naturally. You cannot tax your way out of poverty – you must produce your way out of it,” Obi wrote.
He concluded by calling for a tax system that Nigerians can trust and that does not punish the vulnerable.
“Nigeria needs a fair, lawful, and people-centred tax system—one that supports production, rewards enterprise, protects the vulnerable, and restores trust between government and citizens,” he said.