Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District, Sen. Olamilekan Adeola Yayi, has dismissed claims of disagreement over the ongoing tax reform, insisting that there is no crisis between the National Assembly and the executive arm of government.
Yayi stated this on Saturday during his 22nd Thanksgiving service held in Ilaro, Ogun State, where he addressed criticisms trailing the removal of fuel subsidy and the introduction of tax reforms by the Tinubu administration.
According to him, the National Assembly and the executive are fully aligned on the tax reform process, stressing that whatever eventually becomes law will be transparently implemented in the interest of Nigerians.
“There is no doubt about the tax reform. There is no crisis at all. We are on the same page with the executive and I can tell you that by the time implementation starts, what exactly is passed is what will be implemented,” Yayi said.
He further clarified that any amendment made to the tax reform bills was done openly by the National Assembly and not through any indirect or hidden process.
“There has not been any amendment indirectly or directly. Whatever amendment that happened is from the National Assembly, and we will only do those things that will promote the integrity of the National Assembly and Nigeria as a whole. We are not working at the expense of anybody,” he added.
Speaking more broadly on the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu, Yayi said the removal of fuel subsidy and tax harmonisation policies had helped Nigeria avoid spending over N10 trillion annually on subsidies.
He explained that before the subsidy removal, the country was borrowing between N7 billion and N8 billion monthly to sustain fuel subsidies, a situation he described as unsustainable.
“Nigeria is now getting it right. We can predict the kind of economy we are running. The micro-economy is good and we are working on the macro economy as well. In no distant future, Nigerians will feel the impact of the reforms that have been introduced,” Yayi stated.
The senator also pointed to major infrastructure projects such as the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Road and the Sokoto–Badagry Highway as clear indicators of the positive direction of the reforms.
“In the area of infrastructure, the President has done excellently well. The Lagos–Calabar road and the Sokoto–Badagry road are building a new Nigeria, a Nigeria that works for everybody and a Nigeria that works for all,” he said.
Corroborating Yayi’s position on tax reform, the Minister of State for Health, Hon. Ishiaq Salako, said Nigeria was already experiencing positive outcomes from the reforms, noting that fuel queues had disappeared across the country as of January 3, 2026.
Salako said the Tinubu administration’s tax harmonisation policy was designed to boost revenue generation and improve efficiency, adding that the economy was projected to grow by 4.49 per cent in 2026, while inflation was expected to ease to 12.94 per cent.
“The President’s reforms, including tax harmonisation and the removal of fuel subsidies, are yielding results. Despite the controversies, the new tax laws are expected to increase government revenue and simplify compliance,” Salako said.
He challenged critics and opposition parties to clearly state what alternative policies they would have adopted if they were in power, noting that many Nigerians remained optimistic about the country’s future under the current reforms.
