Foreign minister accuses Bauchi governor of using tax bill to launch his presidential ambition

• The tax reform bills have sparked intense controversy since President Tinubu submitted them to the national assembly.
• The Presidency and Mohammed have been engaged in a heated dispute over the tax reform bills currently before the national assembly.

The foreign affairs minister, Yusuf Tuggar, has accused Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed, of using criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform bill to further his 2027 presidential ambitions.

Speaking on Sunday Politics, a programme on Channels Television, Tuggar said Mohammed lacked sincerity in criticising the president.

Tuggar added that Mohammed sought attention from Tinubu after criticizing the proposed legislation.

The minister noted that while other governors interrogated the tax bill, Mohammed used it to launch his presidential campaign.

“Governor Bala Mohammed showed clearly that he did not have any sincerity of purpose,” Tuggar said.

“It is not that other governors did not try to interrogate the tax bill when it was presented which is a good thing as a matter of fact so that Nigerians get the best out of the bill, but what Bala Mohammed proceeded to do was to use it as a platform to launch his presidential campaign very early in the day.

“He was the most severe in his invectives towards the president, towards the administration with his vituperations towards the president and the administration.”