The African Democratic Congress, Youth Wing has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to suspend the implementation of what it described as “controversial and unconstitutional provisions” in the 2025 Tax Laws recently assented to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu or face mass youth protest.
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.
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The ADC National Youth Leader, Balarabe Rufai, gave the ultimatum while addressing a news conference on Saturday in Kano.
The ADC Youth Wing 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.
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 new 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.
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“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.
They warned that the new tax regime could cripple youth-led small and medium-scale enterprises and worsen unemployment and poverty.
As part of its demands, the ADC Youth Wing called for the immediate suspension of the implementation of the 2025 Tax Acts, withdrawal of what it described as “forged gazettes,” and restoration of the version of the bill passed by the National Assembly.
It also demanded the annulment of the FIRS-France agreement, the removal of the 20 per cent deposit requirement for tax appeals, and the scrapping of any provision granting arrest powers to tax officials.
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Rufai said the group had given the Federal Government until January 3, 2026, to take corrective action.
“Should this ultimatum expire without a meaningful response, we will move from dialogue to legitimate national resistance,” he said, adding that the group was prepared to mobilise Nigerian youths for nationwide protests and coordinated actions.
