The Youth Party has strongly criticised the Federal Government over what it described as a pattern of governance without a human face, warning that the proposed implementation of new tax laws from January 1, 2026 would further worsen the hardship already confronting millions of Nigerians.
In a statement by its Acting National Publicity Secretary, Sope Durodola, the party said the controversy surrounding the tax laws reflected a broader failure of accountability, transparency, and fiscal discipline at a time when ordinary Nigerians are struggling with rising living costs, shrinking incomes, and widespread economic uncertainty.
The party said its concerns were heightened by a disclosure from a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdulsammad Dasuki, who alleged that the version of the tax laws gazetted and circulated to the public does not correspond with the texts debated, harmonised, voted on, and approved by the National Assembly.
According to the Youth Party, such a discrepancy, if proven, would amount to a serious constitutional breach.
It recalled that under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), bills that have received presidential assent must be gazetted in the exact words and text passed by the National Assembly.
Any alteration, the party said, not only undermined legislative authority but also erodes public trust in government institutions already viewed by many Nigerians as distant, unaccountable, and insensitive to their daily struggles.
The Youth Party said the alleged discrepancies in the gazetted tax laws raised troubling questions about the intent and direction of government policy.
Among the provisions said to be absent from the version passed by lawmakers are clauses granting arrest powers to tax authorities and empowering revenue agencies to garnishee bank accounts or seize assets without prior court orders.
The party warned that such powers, introduced at a time of deep economic distress, could expose citizens and small businesses to harassment and abuse.
It further expressed concern over the alleged removal of oversight mechanisms, including routine strategic planning and reporting obligations by the Revenue Service to the Minister and the National Assembly.
According to the party, weakening institutional checks while expanding coercive powers reflects a style of governance that prioritises revenue extraction over accountability and empathy.
Other contentious provisions include a lower threshold for tax reporting and filing, the introduction of new appeal costs, particularly a requirement that taxpayers deposit 20 per cent of a disputed tax assessment before being allowed to appeal, and a mandate for tax computation in United States dollars, which the party said contradicts the bill approved by lawmakers and further disconnects tax policy from the lived reality of Nigerians who earn and spend in naira.
The Youth Party also faulted the government for failing to make the harmonised and assented version of the tax bill publicly available, describing this as a glaring transparency deficit.
It argued that asking citizens to comply with laws they cannot independently verify deepens suspicion and reinforces perceptions of a government unwilling to be held accountable.
Linking the tax push to broader fiscal mismanagement, the party accused government officials of financial recklessness that has now been transferred to the public in the form of higher taxes.
It noted that the 2025 Federal Budget was premised on oil production of 2.06 million barrels per day at a benchmark price of $75 per barrel, targeting N51.04 trillion in gross oil revenue. In reality, production averaged between 1.58 and 1.66 million barrels per day, while oil prices remained below expectations.
By July 2025, the Youth Party said, gross oil receipts stood at about N11.17 trillion, representing a shortfall of M18.61 trillion, or 62.2 per cent below target.
This gap, it added, widened the fiscal deficit to around N5.7 trillion in the first half of the year and pushed the government into heavy borrowing estimated at N7 trillion in the second half, potentially resulting in a total revenue shortfall of nearly N30 trillion.
Debt servicing, the party noted, now consumes up to 72 per cent of government revenue.
According to the Youth Party, instead of addressing waste, leakages, and inefficiencies within government, authorities have chosen to impose heavier tax burdens on citizens and businesses.
It cited proposed increases such as Capital Gains Tax from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, expanded Personal Income Tax, and new taxes on the trade of securities, shares, and stocks, warning that these measures come at a time when many Nigerians are struggling to afford basic necessities.
“Nigerians are already paying the price for inflation, unemployment, and currency depreciation,” the party said, adding that raising taxes in such circumstances reflects a governance model detached from human realities.
It argued that what Nigeria needs is not higher taxes, but an expanded tax base, effective enforcement against evasion, and prudent management of public resources.
The party also criticised the outsourcing of statutory tax collection duties to private individuals and organisations, describing it as wasteful and symptomatic of a lack of seriousness about reform.
According to the Youth Party, such practices increase costs, reduce efficiency, and create opportunities for abuse, while offering little benefit to the public.
Calling for urgent action, the Youth Party urged the Federal Government to suspend the implementation of the new tax laws, release the harmonised and assented version of the bill to the public, and subject the gazetted text to legislative and judicial scrutiny.
It insisted that any tax regime imposed without transparency, empathy, and constitutional fidelity would only deepen public resentment and economic hardship.
“A government that governs without a human face cannot expect voluntary compliance from a suffering population. Nigeria needs accountable leadership, fiscal discipline, and policies that place the welfare of its people at the centre of governance, not laws that compound their pain,” the statement concluded.