THE Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has claimed that Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State is using criticism of President Bola Tinubu over tax reforms and other policies to launch his 2027 presidential ambition.
The Minister made this allegation when he appeared on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme on Sunday monitored by News Point Nigeria.
According to him, the Bauchi State governor showed that he does not have sincerity of purpose in his criticism of President Tinubu.
“Governor Bala Mohammed showed clearly that he does not have any sincerity of purpose,” Tugar said on the programme.
“It is not that other governors did not try to interrogate the tax bill when it was presented which is a good thing as a matter of fact so that Nigerians get the best out of the bill, but what Bala Mohammed proceeded to do was to use it as a platform to launch his presidential campaign very early in the day.
“He was the most severe in his invectives towards the president, towards the administration with his vituperations towards the president and the administration.”
The Minister said Governor Mohammed has been trying to secure an audience with Tinubu following his criticism of the president on the tax reform bills.
The Bauchi State governor had while addressing a Christian community on Boxing Day in Bauchi, urged President Tinubu to backtrack on the tax policy reforms as it could lead to anarchy.
According to him, the policy does not in any way favour the North, adding that the governors would not be able to pay salaries.
He warned that if these policies continued, the northern region would “show its true colours” in response.
However, the Presidency responded to the governor and condemned what it described as threat to the president. It said Mohammed’s view does not reflect the view of the entire north.
Meanwhile, Nigerian governors, on January 16, declared support for the Federal Government’s tax reform bills. However, they proposed a new sharing formula for value-added tax (VAT).
The decision followed a meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the Presidential Tax Reform Committee.
In a communique at the end of the meeting, the governors’ forum “reiterated its strong support for the comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s archaic tax laws.