The presidency has demanded that Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State retract his “inflammatory” statement on the Tax Reform Bill.
Speaking in a social media post on Monday, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare said Mohammed’s statement, “We’ll show Tinubu our true colour,” does not reflect the stance of the north.
Dare added that the statement also goes against the constructive dialogue needed between states and the Federal Government.
His post comes after Mohammed’s statement from Wednesday, December 25, 2024, during a Christmas homage by the Christian community at the Government House in Bauchi.
While opposing Tinubu’s tax reform policies, Governor Mohammed called them “anti-northern”, adding that they favour only a section of the country.
According to him, if the policies continued, the north would “show its true colours”.
Taking to his X handle in the post titled ‘RE: We’ll show Tinubu our True Colour’, Dare said, “I urge him to retract these confrontational remarks and redirect his focus toward productive dialogue with the FG regarding any concerns about the Tax Reform Act.
“This unfortunate statement does not represent the collective voice of Northern Nigeria. The North, like other regions, seeks collaborative governance and constructive engagement with the Federal Government to address our nation’s challenges.
“Rather than issuing threats, his energy might be better directed toward implementing effective poverty alleviation programmes and ensuring transparent utilisation of these federal resources [N144bn received from FG]. The Tax Reform Act and increased federal allocations significantly benefit the States.”