Senate delays passage of tax reform bills, announces security summit amid rising violence

The Nigerian Senate has postponed the passage of President Bola Tinubu’s four tax reform bills to Wednesday (today), opting for additional scrutiny despite the House of Representatives’ approval two weeks prior.

The delay comes as lawmakers shift focus to address the country’s escalating security crisis through a proposed national security summit.

The tax legislation—comprising the Nigerian Tax Bill, Tax Administration Bill, Revenue Tax Board Bill, and Nigerian Revenue Service Establishment Bill—aims to overhaul fiscal policies and boost government revenue. Their six-month pendency has drawn criticism, particularly after the lower chamber’s swift endorsement.

The Senate’s attention turned urgently to national security following a motion by Ondo South Senator Jimoh Ibrahim during Tuesday’s plenary. The debate was prompted by recent mass killings in Plateau, Benue, and Zamfara states while President Tinubu was abroad.

“The high level of global insecurity is driven by events in Russia and Ukraine and compounded by tensions between the global north and global south,” Ibrahim argued, connecting Nigeria’s crisis to broader geopolitical shifts.

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“This new order reflects in immigration policies, visa cancellations by new regimes, and countries raising funds by selling citizenship—all of which fuel economic conflict.”

The lawmaker warned of unconventional warfare: “The next world war may not even require the fanfare of militarism. The incredible growing economic war is gaining ground with destructive innovation in security globally.”

While Katsina South Senator Mohammed Dandutse supported the motion, emphasizing intelligence failures, Abia South’s Enyinnaya Abaribe and Kebbi Central’s Adamu Aliero questioned the summit’s efficacy.

Benue North-West’s Titus Zam and Minority Leader Abba Moro countered these objections, leading to a voice vote approving a condensed two-day summit—down from the proposed three—to be organized by an ad-hoc committee.

The Abuja summit will convene federal and state officials alongside traditional leaders, with recommendations expected to inform security policy reforms.

Meanwhile, the tax bills face final deliberation Wednesday as the Senate balances fiscal overhaul against pressing security concerns.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio emphasized the urgency: “We must address both our economic foundations and the existential threats facing our citizens.”

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