Philip Agbese, the representative for the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, has accused Federal Capital Territory Senator Ireti Kingibe of using alarmist rhetoric over claims of a proposed fuel tax.
Agbese, who leads the Labour Party in Benue State, said Kingibe, an African Democratic Congress senator, was distorting the details of the tax reforms in an effort to gain political advantage.
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Kingibe raised concerns about an alleged fuel tax and suggested that Nigerians could face a flat 25 per cent levy on their income.
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In response, Agbese said her assertions had no factual basis, maintaining that the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 contains no newly introduced tax on fuel.
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He also rejected the suggestion that all citizens would surrender 25 per cent of their earnings, describing it as entirely untrue.
“Senator Ireti Kingibe is engaging in dangerous fear politics over the welfare of everyday Nigerians,” Agbese said. “She knows that the tax reform legislation does not impose a fuel tax, but continues to present misinformation as truth in order to frighten the public and portray herself as a rescuer. This is political opportunism at its lowest level.”
Tax thresholds
Agbese said the Nigeria Tax Act 2025 established a progressive tax structure rather than a uniform rate applicable to all incomes.
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The first N800,000 of annual income attracts a zero per cent tax rate.
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The 25 per cent rate applies only to the share of annual earnings above N50 million.
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He said millions of Nigerians would either owe no tax or pay only limited amounts under the system.
He argued that the claim that every Nigerian would forfeit one-quarter of their income reflected either intentional misinformation or a serious lack of understanding of the legislation.
Agbese said it was regrettable that opposition politicians were, in his view, exploiting economic hardship in pursuit of electoral benefit.
He questioned how a senator involved in the National Assembly’s legislative process could tell Nigerians that a fuel tax was imminent when no such provision existed. He also challenged Kingibe’s assertion of a blanket 25 per cent income tax, saying the law plainly set out different thresholds and rates.
“If she is unable to inform the public with accurate facts, she should at least stop contaminating the public space with falsehoods,” Agbese said.
He called on Kingibe to withdraw her remarks and issue an apology to Nigerians.
