The Senate has dismissed a claim by Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Senator Ireti Kingibe that Nigerians could be forced to surrender 25 per cent of their earnings in taxes if the All Progressives Congress (APC) returns to power in 2027.
Naija News reports that Senate spokesman Yemi Adaramodu described the allegation as misleading, insisting that the tax law in question had already been passed by the National Assembly and signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.
In an interview with Sunday Punch, Adaramodu accused Kingibe of attempting to misrepresent the legislation for political gain.
The lawmaker, who chairs the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, maintained that the enacted legislation should be the basis for discussions about the country’s tax reforms.
According to him, the tax law had been a public document for almost a year, making further claims about provisions allegedly contained in the legislation unnecessary.
“Already, the tax law has been passed, and then it has become a public document.
“So, whatever is not in the tax law that is passed has never been included. Whatever is there is what has been passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Adaramodu said.
He further accused those making claims about the tax reforms of attempting to revisit issues that had already been settled through the legislative process.
“The tax law we are talking about was passed almost one year ago,” he added.
Senate Dismisses Kingibe’s Position
Adaramodu also challenged references to Kingibe’s position in the Senate, stressing that she was not the presiding officer of the chamber.
“Point of correction, Senator Kingibe is not the presiding officer. She is just a Senator of the FCT,” he said.
The Senate spokesman explained that the upper chamber would not respond to what he characterised as political commentary.
However, he noted that lawmakers who had concerns about an enacted law could raise them through formal legislative procedures.
“If any senator feels so nibbled by whatever law we have passed and has been assented to, he or she can come to the floor of the Senate and raise a motion or send a petition.
“We cannot be reacting to somebody passing a political comment. So, we cannot be reacting to that,” he stated.
Kingibe Warns FCT Residents Against Voting for APC
Kingibe, who is seeking re-election to the Senate on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had warned residents of the FCT against voting for the APC in the 2027 general elections.
In a widely circulated video delivered in Pidgin English, the senator urged Nigerians to take responsibility for changing the country’s political and economic circumstances.
“This is our country; we must claim it back. Nobody will do it for us. We are the ones to do it. As the country is not enjoyable for us, no one will change it except us. We must be the ones to stand up and say that enough is enough. We have had enough,” she said.
The senator also alleged that lawmakers had approved a 25 per cent tax on earnings but that implementation was being delayed because of concerns about a possible public backlash ahead of the 2027 elections.
Her comments have drawn a response from the Senate, which insists that the enacted tax legislation—not political claims about its provisions—should guide public understanding of the law.
The dispute comes as political parties and lawmakers position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections, with taxation and economic reforms likely to remain subjects of public debate.
Note: Kingibe’s allegation and the Senate’s response are presented as claims by the respective parties. The specific tax provision should be checked against the enacted legislation before concluding that the law imposes a flat 25 per cent tax on Nigerians’ earnings.