The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called for the immediate suspension of the tax laws signed by President Bola Tinubu, alleging that the final versions contain provisions that the National Assembly did not pass.
The opposition party said the laws, which are scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2026, were allegedly altered after legislative approval, describing the action as a grave threat to constitutional governance and the principle of separation of powers.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC warned that tampering with legislation after passage by the National Assembly suggests an attempt by the executive to concentrate excessive powers in the presidency.
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The party demanded that the implementation of the tax laws be suspended to allow the National Assembly to determine the extent of the alleged alterations and take corrective action.
According to the ADC, its internal forensic review comparing the versions passed by the legislature with the gazetted laws revealed that key accountability provisions were removed, while new clauses granting coercive enforcement powers to the executive were inserted.
The party alleged that one of the inserted provisions empowers the federal government to arrest individuals and take over their property for non-compliance with the tax laws, without recourse to the courts.
“The issue goes beyond taxation. It speaks to a criminal mindset of a government that has no regard for democratic institutions and constitutional boundaries,” the ADC said.
The party argued that altering legislation after approval by “469 elected representatives of the Nigerian people” amounts to a direct assault on constitutional governance and reflects what it described as “totalitarian instincts” within the executive arm.
Reiterating that only the legislature has the constitutional authority to make laws, the ADC warned that accepting post-passage alterations by the executive would amount to ceding law-making powers to the presidency, with dangerous implications for Nigeria’s democracy.
The ADC called for a public inquiry into the alleged forgery, as well as a full investigation and prosecution of any government officials found culpable.
“The immediate suspension of all the 2025 tax laws signed by President Bola Tinubu is the only reasonable course of action if the principle of separation of powers is to be preserved,” the statement added.
The party maintained that any law not enacted strictly in line with constitutional provisions “cannot stand.”
