Dr. Akin Fapohunda, Director of Research for the Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere and a key member of The Patriots, has issued a stark warning about Nigeria’s impending tax reforms, predicting widespread public unrest as early as January 2026. In a candid interview on Arise TV’s Prime Time, Fapohunda cautioned that the reforms’ stringent provisions could drive ordinary citizens to desperation, potentially sparking revolts against the government.
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“Look at what will happen in January when this tax reform comes into effect,” Fapohunda said, emphasizing the complexity of compliance requirements. “When I’m reading all the provisions, everything many people will just go to jail, or you lose all the money you have because there are… all the steps before you start paying taxes. Maybe [it will] make people revolt against the government.” He argued that the reforms, while aimed at boosting revenue, overlook the realities of everyday Nigerians, exacerbating existing frustrations in a nation already grappling with economic hardship.
Fapohunda’s remarks come amid growing discontent over President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s fiscal policies, including the removal of fuel subsidies and naira floatation, which have fueled inflation and poverty. He linked the potential backlash to a broader “hopelessness” that has silenced laughter across Nigeria after 65 years of independence, urging immediate structural reforms to avert chaos.
Beyond the tax crisis, Fapohunda lambasted the National Assembly’s ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution as a “waste of time and money,” echoing calls from legal icon Chief Wole Olanipekun and The Patriots for a complete replacement. Describing the current process as “American football style the clock has run out,” he dismissed proposals to amend 83 sections or create 46 new states as futile distractions. “They’ve spent 100 billion naira on this process and want to justify it,” he charged, accusing lawmakers of executing a “coup against Nigerian society” by ignoring public demands for dialogue.
Instead, Fapohunda advocated for a “root and branch” overhaul through a people’s constitution, ratified via referendum. Drawing from The Patriots’ ready-made draft bill—submitted to President Tinubu last year—he outlined a vision for true federalism with a lean two-tier system: a slim federal government handling no more than 12–14 core functions, such as foreign affairs, currency, and passports, while devolving roads, education, and regional works to empowered geopolitical zones.
“We have almost 320 clauses in the current constitution it’s just for lawyers’ interpretation. Everything is wrong with it; it’s not fit for purpose,” he stated. Fapohunda proposed transforming Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones (potentially expanding to 10) into semi-autonomous regions with their own constitutions, fostering cooperation and competition. “Each region will differentiate and will be good neighbors… They will control their resources,” he explained, modeling the federal structure after the United Nations—a “club” for coordination, not domination.
A cornerstone of his blueprint is ditching the presidential system for a parliamentary one, where governors and premiers would be “first among equals,” elected by peers in state assemblies, reducing the risk of authoritarianism. “Will he be an emperor the way we have governors now? He will not be,” Fapohunda asserted, criticizing current leaders as “drug addicts” hooked on power and self-enrichment. He highlighted how senators, burdened by massive campaign debts (up to 500 million naira), prioritize recouping investments over public service, rendering them unresponsive to constituents.
Fapohunda also called for decentralized revenue allocation—”you work and eat, not share and go and eat”—and concurrent censuses to eliminate disputes. Elections would be regional, with national representatives funded by states for accountability, and no more costly federal polls. “By May there will be a referendum. By October, one, the commission will be ushered in… 2027 will be a rebirth,” he projected, if Tinubu acts swiftly on The Patriots’ bill.
Fapohunda painted a grim picture of Nigeria’s elite, whom he accused of lacking respect for the people and operating in “darkness” driven by ethnic “mine vs. yours” politics. “Nigeria’s leaders… believe that their personal interests are the interests of the people,” he said, urging former heads of state like General Abdulsalami Abubakar and the Council of State to intervene privately. He expressed disappointment in their silence, warning that without moral leadership, “something has to happen”—potentially extra-judicial measures if unrest escalates.
Despite the gloom, Fapohunda remains “pessimistically optimistic,” stressing that elites, not market women or gatekeepers, must drive change. He praised platforms like Arise TV for amplifying civilized discourse, insisting the time for action is now: “The president is the anchor person… He’s done economy for one year; now it’s for political.”
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