The Oyo State Government has faulted the criticism by the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, over the alleged failure of Governor Seyi Makinde to domesticate the Tax Harmonisation Law, describing the allegation as evidence of the senator’s poor understanding of tax administration.
The government, in a statement issued by the Special Assistant (Communication) to the governor, Dayo Ogunbowale, said Alli needed to engage competent researchers and fact-checkers to avoid making what it described as avoidable errors in his media campaign.
Ogunbowale maintained that Makinde had consistently demonstrated a commitment to protecting residents from additional financial burdens, insisting that the governor’s economic policies were not designed to increase taxes on the people.
Citing the governor’s previous statements, he said Makinde had maintained that no new taxes had been introduced in Oyo State in over six years.
He also recalled that the governor declined to sign the Presumptive Tax Bill passed by the Oyo State House of Assembly because it would have imposed taxes on artisans and small business operators, including barbers, bricklayers, photographers, mechanics and shop owners.
According to Ogunbowale, Makinde rejected the bill because he was more interested in policies that would put money in people’s pockets than those that would further deplete their resources.
The governor’s aide further cited the suspension of revenue collection on farm produce marketed within Oyo State in February 2024 as another demonstration of the administration’s commitment to easing the economic burden on residents.
He said the measure, announced at the Fasola Agribusiness Hub, was part of a broader intervention that included a N600 million tractor subsidy, N1 billion support for smallholder farmers through the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER), removal of the civil servant guarantor requirement for ACCOS loans and the provision of haulage trucks.
Ogunbowale, however, clarified that produce originating from Oyo State and transported to other parts of the country remained subject to revenue collection, explaining that the policy was designed to reduce food prices within the state while protecting its internally generated revenue.
He also accused Alli of confusing federal and state revenue operations, arguing that the illegal levies complained about along major roads were not being collected by agents of the Oyo State Government.
The statement challenged the APC candidate to investigate the activities of what it described as federal-aided revenue collectors and obtain relevant receipts from the appropriate authorities.
Ogunbowale described it as embarrassing that a governorship candidate who had promised to pass a tax law within his first 100 days in office could allegedly misunderstand the existing revenue collection arrangements in the state.
He urged Alli to strengthen his campaign team with competent researchers and fact-checkers, warning that failure to verify information could undermine his political ambition ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
The governor’s aide maintained that Makinde remained committed to expanding the state’s economy rather than increasing the tax burden on residents, adding that the people of Oyo State understood the difference between policies that support them and those that impose additional hardship.
