House Minority Leader Chinda Breaks Silence on Tax Reform Bills Passage, State of Emergency in Rivers, PDP Crisis
By Raphael Ekpang
Rt. Hon. Kingsley Chinda, the Minority Leader of the Nigerian House of Representatives, has finally spoken out on the recent passage of the Tax Reform Bills, the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, and the ongoing crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Tax Reform Bills
Chinda emphasized that the bill underwent rigorous scrutiny to ensure it serves Nigerians’ best interests. He noted that the opposition played a crucial role in reshaping the legislation to make it more people-friendly.
Although he acknowledged that the bill is not perfect, he believes it’s a significant improvement towards a more effective tax system.
“We saw that the bill, as originally presented, was not favorable enough for Nigerians. We engaged stakeholders, including governors, state assemblies, and religious groups, to address contentious areas before passing it.
“I know that for Nigerians, if they don’t see parliamentarians blowing, hitting at each other, insulting and attacking themselves, they feel that there is no opposition in Parliament. We’ve fought for several years in Parliament, but insecurity keeps increasing, economic woes increasing. So, in the opposition we decided that we are going to make our impact having the interest of Nigerians at the back of our mind, and that is exactly what we’ve done with the Tax Reform Bills,” he said.
Declaration of State of Emergency in Rivers State
Rep Chinda denied allegations that lawmakers were bribed to approve the state of emergency, stating that the decision was based on security concerns and followed due legislative process.
He expressed gratitude that no lives were lost during the upheaval preceding the declaration. He explained that the situation in Rivers was a direct confrontation between the executive and legislative arms of government, necessitating the declaration of a state of emergency to prevent anarchy.
Chinda said, “We had an executive session where members were given classified security information about the situation. It was not about money; it was about preventing loss of lives and stabilizing the state.
“Declaring a state of emergency is not a routine action, it is based on necessity. In Rivers, the standoff threatened governance and public order,” he explained.
However, Chinda criticized the misinterpretation of the Supreme Court judgment, which upheld Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s National Secretary. He urged party members to respect the ruling and avoid unnecessary conflict.
He emphasized that judgments must be respected and warned against misrepresenting the ruling for personal interests.
On one-party system allegations, Chinda dismissed concerns that the Tinubu-led administration is working towards a one-party system, stating that any party in power would wish for others to remain in disarray. However, he also expressed a desire for the APC to face a similar crisis ahead of the 2027 elections.
