Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has cautioned against any hurried attempt to re-gazette Nigeria’s tax laws, warning that such a move could undermine parliamentary oversight and set a dangerous constitutional precedent.
Atiku’s warning follows growing public and political scrutiny over alleged post-passage alterations to the tax reform Acts recently signed by President Bola Tinubu.
Lawmakers, including Abdussamad Dasuki, had raised concerns during plenary that the versions of the laws in circulation differed from those passed by the National Assembly.
Dasuki warned that any alterations not backed by constitutional procedures posed serious legal and democratic risks. However, the Federal Government has denied any wrongdoing, insisting that the laws would take effect on January 1, 2026.
To address the controversy, the National Assembly said the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, directed the Clerk of the National Assembly to re-gazette the Acts and issue Certified True Copies of the versions passed by both chambers.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, Atiku said the directive amounted to an admission that the gazetted version did not reflect what was duly passed by parliament.
He described the situation as a “grave constitutional issue,” stressing that a law published in a form never approved by the legislature is legally invalid.
Atiku explained that Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution clearly outlines the lawmaking process—passage by both chambers, presidential assent, and then gazetting.
He emphasised that gazetting is merely an administrative act and does not create, amend, or legitimise a flawed law.
According to him, any insertion, deletion, or modification of a bill after passage without legislative approval amounts to forgery, not a clerical error. He added that no administrative directive by the leadership of the National Assembly could cure such a defect without fresh legislative passage and presidential assent.
The former vice president warned that rushing a re-gazetting process while stalling a legislative investigation would erode the authority of the National Assembly and weaken democratic accountability.
He maintained that the only lawful solution was fresh legislative consideration, re-passage by both chambers, renewed presidential assent, and proper gazetting.
Atiku stressed that his position was not opposition to tax reform but a defence of constitutional order and the integrity of Nigeria’s legislative process.
