Ireti Kingibe, the senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has warned constituents that citizens face a blanket 25 percent personal income tax deduction should the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) retain power in the 2027 general elections.
However, when pressed by journalists to provide documentation or evidence supporting her assertion, Kingibe directed inquiries to text message but subsequently failed to provide any response.
Kingibe, who is pursuing re-election on the African Democratic Congress (ADC) platform, made the allegations in widely circulated video clips. She claimed that federal lawmakers had already enacted legislation mandating a 25 percent deduction from all citizens’ earnings, alleging that authorities were merely delaying enforcement out of fear of public backlash ahead of the polls.
Speaking to voters, the lawmaker urged them to reject the current administration, drawing parallels to how the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was previously voted out of office. Her remarks quickly gained traction across social media platforms such as X, where various commentators and digital influencers repeated her claims, prompting widespread public apprehension.
Despite Kingibe’s assertions, statutory records contradict her claims. The Nigeria Tax Act, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, establishes a progressive tax structure rather than a uniform 25 percent levy across the board.
Under the statutory framework, income is divided into six distinct tiers. The initial N800,000 earned annually is completely tax-exempt. Subsequent bands are taxed progressively: 15 percent on the next N2.2 million, 18 percent on the following N9 million, 21 percent on the subsequent N13 million, and 23 percent on the next N25 million. The top rate of 25 percent applies exclusively to income exceeding the N50 million threshold, meaning only high-earning individuals pay that rate, and solely on the portion above that benchmark.
Efforts to obtain clarification from Kingibe yielded no answers. After initial contact during a legislative session where she requested questions via text, she did not reply to the written inquiry and subsequently declined follow-up calls.
