The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has warned that the Tax Reform Bill proposed by President Bola Tinubu's government can plunge the nation into a socioeconomic crisis if it sails through at the National Assembly.

The Convener of NEF, Professor Ango Abdullahi, expressed this concern when he voiced the group's rejection of the proposed legislation, which he said was “conceived in bad faith.”

This is contained in a statement issued after the forum’s Board of Trustees' second bi-annual meeting in Abuja on Saturday, November 23, 2024.

Abdullahi further argued that the bill is poorly packaged and, as such, portends a palpable threat to national unity and social cohesion.

He also criticised the manner of implementation of the bill, alleging that key stakeholders, including members of the National Economic Council, were sidelined during the process.

The Convener warned against dubious policies that could further marginalise the North's resource potential.

The forum commended the Northern States Governors’ Forum and the Northern Nigeria Council of Traditional Rulers for opposing the bill, describing their stance as "patriotic" while urging Northern politicians in the National Assembly to lend their voice to the opposition.

The meeting seriously maintained that, in its present form, the Tax Reform Bill is conceived in bad faith, poorly packaged and it is a palpable threat to our unity and national cohesion.

The meeting proceeded by drawing attention to the brazen cavalier way and the suspicious manner in which the Tax Reform Bill was imposed on the nation, without allowing the in-puts of critical stakeholders, even as it kept members of the National Economic Council in the dark, thus; confirming the sinister intentions of those promoting this outrageous Bill.

“The Board-in-session, condemned in very strong terms, the conspicuous loss of voice on this burning issue by the overwhelming number of elected politicians in the National Assembly from the region, and fiercely warned, that indeed, the days are fast gone when such conspiratorial connivance against the vital and strategic interest of the region, either by those within or outside the region, would not be condoned or even tolerated,” the statement party reads.

The elders urged Northerners to remain vigilant in defending their rights, particularly during elections, warning them against falling victim to manipulation by unscrupulous leaders with questionable records.