Petition Challenges Claims of 25% Tax on Minimum-Wage Earners, Petty Traders and Small Businesses; Calls for Evidence-Based Regulatory Investigation
By Princess Gloria Adebajo-Fraser, MFR
The National Patriots has called for an investigation by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) into potentially misleading tax-related statements contained in Beg Your Papa, a new song by Nigerian musician Eedris Abdulkareem, amid concerns that the recording misrepresents provisions of the Nigeria Tax Act 2025.
The civic advocacy organisation has prepared a formal petition to the Commission, accompanied by a preliminary legal analysis and a listener-prepared account of the recording, requesting an examination of the disputed allegations and their possible implications for broadcasting standards.
At the centre of the controversy is the musician’s reported assertion that the Federal Government intends to deduct 25% from the income of ordinary Nigerians, including minimum-wage earners, petty traders, market women and small businesses.
According to the National Patriots’ transcription, Abdulkareem alleges that a worker earning the statutory monthly minimum wage of ₦70,000 would lose ₦17,500 to taxation, leaving only ₦52,500 for house rent, food and other family expenses.
Although the arithmetic is correct, the underlying claim about compulsory personal income-tax deductions conflicts with the statutory exemption for qualifying employees earning no more than the national minimum wage.
Under the Nigeria Tax Act 2025, the 25% personal income-tax rate applies only to the portion of annual taxable income exceeding ₦50 million. It is not a universal deduction imposed on every salary or financial transaction.
The legislation establishes progressive income-tax bands, beginning with a zero-rate band on the first ₦800,000 of annual chargeable income.
Claims About Petty Traders and Business Investments
The song reportedly extends the alleged 25% deduction to ordinary commercial activities.
In one example, Abdulkareem suggests that a trader investing ₦80,000 would lose 25% of that investment to taxation.
He also reportedly warns pepper sellers, vegetable traders, market women and small businesses that government will deduct 25% from their earnings, profits or investments, exposing them to severe financial hardship.
However, capital invested in a business is not automatically taxable income. The tax treatment of business activities depends on the nature of the taxpayer, chargeable profits, applicable deductions, exemptions and other statutory requirements.
A trader’s investment, gross sales and taxable profit are not interchangeable concepts.
The National Patriots maintains that portraying a 25% deduction as universally applicable to these transactions risks creating an inaccurate understanding of the law, particularly among low-income citizens and informal-sector operators.
Tax Reforms Already Commenced in January 2026
Another significant allegation concerns the commencement of the tax legislation.
The recording reportedly claims that the National Assembly has passed the tax laws but that implementation will be postponed until after the 2027 presidential election.
Official records contradict that account insofar as it concerns the commencement of the Nigeria Tax Act itself.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu confirmed in December 2025 that the remaining tax reform legislation would commence on 1 January 2026 as scheduled.
The Federal Ministry of Finance subsequently issued transition guidelines confirming that commencement date and explaining how obligations arising under the previous and new tax frameworks would be treated.
While individual transitional arrangements must be assessed according to their provisions, the assertion that the entire legislation awaits implementation until after the 2027 election is inconsistent with the official record.
Freedom of Expression and Broadcasting Responsibility
The National Patriots emphasised that its complaint is directed at verifiable factual representations of enacted legislation, not at the musician’s political opinions.
In the recording, Abdulkareem addresses Seyi Tinubu, criticises his father’s administration and reportedly urges Nigerians to oppose President Tinubu’s re-election.
Such political expression, including satire and criticism of government policies, falls within the broader constitutional protection of freedom of expression.
However, the organisation argues that the accuracy of factual claims about taxation remains open to legitimate public scrutiny.
The distinction is important. A prediction that Nigerians may experience greater hardship is a political judgment. An assertion that a particular law requires government to deduct 25% from minimum-wage salaries or trading capital is a proposition capable of verification.
The National Patriots therefore requests that the NBC obtain the complete recording, authenticate the relevant lyrics and translations, examine the statutory provisions and determine whether any broadcast by a licensed organisation breached an applicable provision of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
The organisation has also requested that the musician and any affected broadcaster be afforded an opportunity to respond before a regulatory determination is reached.
Earlier NBC Restriction and Regulatory Precedent
The development follows an earlier controversy involving Abdulkareem’s song Tell Your Papa.
In April 2025, the NBC issued a notice classifying that recording as Not To Be Broadcast, citing Section 3.1.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
The directive attracted criticism from freedom-of-expression advocates, including Media Rights Agenda, which questioned the legal basis for the restriction and warned against censorship of political criticism.
That earlier dispute provides relevant regulatory history but does not automatically establish grounds for restricting the new recording.
The National Patriots’ petition consequently requests an independent assessment rather than a predetermined ban.
The organisation maintains that any regulatory intervention must rest on the applicable law, authenticated evidence, procedural fairness and a proportionate response to any established breach.
National Patriots Submits Supporting Analysis
To assist the Commission, the organisation has prepared two supporting documents.
Enclosure A provides a preliminary examination of the disputed tax allegations against the Nigeria Tax Act 2025.
Enclosure B contains a listener-prepared account of the recording, identifying the reported references to minimum-wage taxation, business investments, petty traders and the 2027 election.
The organisation acknowledges that the account is not an independently authenticated verbatim transcript. The recording also contains reported Hausa-language passages whose precise wording and translations require verification.
The petition asks the NBC to establish the complete context before reaching conclusions.
Food for Thought
Public debate about taxation should be grounded in what the law actually provides.
Nigerians have every right to question government policies, challenge their consequences and make independent electoral choices. Equally, citizens deserve accurate explanations of legislation affecting their livelihoods.
A 25% marginal tax rate on very high annual taxable income is not the same as a compulsory 25% deduction from every worker’s salary, petty trader’s investment or market woman’s earnings.
The National Patriots calls for factual accuracy, responsible public communication and an impartial regulatory examination of the disputed recording.
A falsehood does not become the truth simply because it is set to music.
Princess Gloria Adebajo-Fraser, MFR
President, National Patriots
Member APC-PCC Strategic Communications Team.
