Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Bode George, has condemned what he described as suffocating taxation policies under President Bola Tinubu, saying revenue generation must not come at the cost of citizens’ survival.
George faulted contributions towards the private library for the First Lady, Remi Tinubu, describing the initiative as insensitive to the harsh economic realities in the country.
The Atona Oodua of Yorubaland, in a statement titled: ‘2026: Nigeria at a critical junction in its journey,’ slammed the alleged harassment of governors Bala Mohammed and Seyi Makinde of Bauchi and Oyo states, adding that it was an assault on Nigeria’s federalist structure.
The statement reads: “We stand at a critical junction in our nation’s journey. The air is thick with apprehension, not because of a lack of potential, but because of a systematic erosion of the democratic values that bind us together.
“First, we must address the alarming pattern of hostility directed toward dissenting voices. The harassment of Governors Bala Mohammed and Seyi Makinde of Bauchi and Oyo states is not merely a political skirmish; it is a calculated assault on the federalist structure of our nation. When state executives are intimidated for holding different views, it signals a dangerous slide toward a one-party state.
“Democracy thrives on a plurality of ideas, not the silence of the graveyard. While our people grapple with unprecedented hardship, we see a jarring disconnect in the corridors of power. The massive contributions toward a private library for the First Lady, Remi Tinubu, represent a profound insensitivity to the current economic climate. In a land where millions go to bed hungry, such funds would have been better utilized in ameliorating the biting poverty that has become the daily companion of the average Nigerian.
“Leadership must be about service and sacrifice, not the curation of legacies while the people suffer. Furthermore, we call upon the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
“The credibility of our democracy rests squarely on your shoulders. You must be just; you must be fair. The era of “miracle results” and technical glitches must end. Nigeria deserves transparent, free, and fair elections where the ballot—not the arrangement —determines the victor.
“To the government of President Bola Tinubu, we urge a rethink of current trajectories. The prevailing taxation policies are suffocating the very businesses and individuals they should be empowering.
“While revenue is necessary, it must not come at the cost of the people’s survival. More distressing is the apparent effort to create an environment that infringes on the right to existence of opposition parties.
A democracy without a viable opposition is a dictatorship in disguise. We live in a global village, and we must learn from the shadows of history. We need only look at the Venezuela experience to see the consequences of hyper-taxation, the suppression of opposition, and the erosion of democratic institutions. Venezuela serves as a stark reminder that even the most resource-rich nations can crumble when leadership prioritizes power over the people.
“Let us choose a different path. Let us protect our governors, respect our citizens’ pockets, and ensure our electoral process is beyond reproach. The soul of our nation depends on it.”
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