Peter Obi Blasts Tinubu Over Tax Policy
Peter Obi, former Labour Party presidential candidate, has criticised Nigeria’s current taxation approach, warning that the country cannot achieve prosperity by placing heavier tax burdens on an already impoverished population.
In a personally signed statement on Friday and titled “Prosperity cannot come by taxing Poverty”, Obi argued that sustainable economic and social progress depends on honest leadership, transparency and a tax system that prioritises citizens’ welfare rather than revenue extraction.
According to him, successful nations are led by individuals who unite their people around a shared vision, stressing that integrity is central to governance.
“Transformative leaders—those who successfully unite their people around a shared vision—share a defining quality: honesty. Government must be transparent and truthful because citizens deserve nothing less from those who lead them,” he stated.
Obi warned that leadership loses legitimacy when it exploits citizens for the benefit of a few, adding, “True leaders do not exploit their people to enrich themselves and a few cronies; they build trust, unity, and shared purpose – the foundation of sustainable progress.”
He said Nigeria’s taxation framework must be assessed against these principles, noting, “It is against this standard of honest leadership that Nigeria’s current approach to taxation must be measured.”
The former Anambra State governor emphasised that taxation should function as a social contract built on fairness and transparency.
“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,” he said, adding that citizens deserve clear explanations of tax policies and their benefits.
Obi warned that without transparency, “taxation becomes a tool of confusion and burden rather than a mechanism for growth and development,” insisting that “Nigeria must rethink taxation if it is serious about economic growth, national unity, and shared prosperity.”
He criticised what he described as a revenue-driven fiscal mindset that fails to improve citizens’ welfare.
“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 said, lamenting that Nigerians are currently asked to pay more “without clarity, explanation, or visible benefit.”
Obi argued that economic recovery lies in production rather than excessive taxation, stating, “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.”
He added, “You cannot tax your way out of poverty – you must produce your way out of it.”
He also expressed concern over what he described as a troubling tax fraud controversy.
“This makes the ongoing tax fraud saga particularly alarming. For the first time in Nigeria’s history, a tax law has reportedly been forged,” Obi said.
According to him, “The National Assembly itself has admitted that the version gazetted is not what was passed into law,” yet Nigerians are being compelled to pay higher taxes “under this manipulated framework —without transparency, without explanation, and without corresponding benefits.”
Obi cautioned against celebrating rising government revenue amid worsening living conditions, declaring, “There is no virtue in celebrating increased government revenue while the people grow poorer.”
He concluded that “Taxing poverty does not create wealth; it deepens hardship,” arguing that any tax regime that impoverishes citizens undermines good governance.
Calling for reform, Obi said 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,” stressing that only such a system can make taxation “a true tool for unity, growth, and shared prosperity.”
