New Tax Laws: ADC Youth Wing Issues 7-Day Warning, Vows Nationwide Protests

Ahmad Sorondinki in Kano

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Youth Wing has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the federal government over what it described as “controversial and unconstitutional provisions” in the 2025 Tax Laws recently assented to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking during a press conference in Kano, its National Youth Leader, Comrade Balarabe Rufai, accused the federal government and the national assembly of undermining democratic processes and imposing what it termed a “fiscal extraction regime” on Nigerians, particularly youths.

The group warned that failure to address its demands within the stipulated period would trigger nationwide actions, including a taxpayer strike and mass youth protests targeting revenue-generating institutions.

Rufai said the new tax framework ignored the economic realities of young Nigerians, who make up a significant portion of the population, while allegedly protecting the interests of the political elite and foreign partners.

According to him, members of the ADC Youth Wing marched to the national assembly on December 23, 2025, where they submitted a formal petition outlining their grievances over the tax laws.

He claimed that despite the seriousness of the issues raised, the national assembly had failed to respond, a development he described as “arrogant silence” and an abdication of legislative responsibility.

The group alleged that a forensic review of the 2025 tax framework revealed what it called three major “betrayals.”

“One of the allegations is that certain provisions, including Section 41(8), which requires taxpayers to deposit 20 per cent of disputed tax assessments before filing appeals, and Section 60, which allegedly grants arrest powers to tax officers, were inserted into the law without proper legislative approval.”

“These clauses were not subjected to plenary debate or voting. This is black-market legislation and a direct assault on constitutional governance,” he said.

The youth wing also raised concerns over a memorandum of understanding reportedly signed on December 10, 2025, between the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and France’s Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (DGFIP).

According to the ADC, the agreement poses a national security risk by allegedly exposing sensitive financial and biometric data, including BVN and NIN-linked information, to foreign interests under the guise of technical assistance.

The group further criticised what it described as skewed fiscal priorities, noting that while the Ministry of Youth Development was allocated N14 billion, larger sums were allegedly earmarked for what it termed “vanity projects” and recurrent expenses.