Amaechi ‘slipped so low’ with false tax claims, says Presidency
The Presidency has accused former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, of deliberately misleading Nigerians over the provisions of the country’s Tax Act.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said Amaechi had “slipped so low” by spreading what he described as egregious falsehoods about the law during a recent political campaign appearance.
Amaechi, who also served as Minister of Transportation between 2015 and 2022, was quoted as telling a crowd at a market in Abuja: “By Jan./Feb. next year, all of you will be in trouble if APC wins. Immediately after election in 2027, APC will implement the Tax law. The TAX LAW is if I pay you N100M for your building materials, automatically 25M will leave your account.”
Reacting to the statement in a post on X, Onanuga dismissed the claim as inaccurate and misleading, insisting that the Tax Act does not contain any provision that allows for an automatic 25 per cent deduction from payments as suggested.
“Rotimi Amaechi caught spreading egregious lies about the Tax Act. The former minister and governor has really slipped so low misleading people about the law,” Onanuga said.
He further questioned whether the alleged misinformation signaled the strategy of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Onanuga maintained that public discourse on fiscal policy should be grounded in facts, urging political actors to refrain from spreading fear or distorting legislation for campaign advantage.
Nigeria Tax Act 2025 consolidates several tax laws into one framework to modernise revenue collection, broaden the tax base and improve compliance, with implementation set for 2026. According to official summaries of the Act, it revises personal and corporate tax structures but does not mandate an automatic 25 per cent deduction from payments, as tax liabilities are determined by specific rates and income categories, not a flat charge on every transaction.
