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 forged provisions not passed by the National Assembly.
In a statement issued today, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, national publicity secretary of the ADC, said the tax laws scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026, were altered after legislative passage.
The party said its demand followed findings that key provisions in the gazetted laws were substantially different from those approved by lawmakers.
Abdullahi said tampering with legislation after passage shows an attempt by the Tinubu administration to concentrate power in the executive.
The ADC demanded the suspension of the tax laws to allow the legislature determine the extent of what it described as forgery and take corrective action.
The party also called for a public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the alleged alterations.
According to the ADC, its forensic review of the original bills and the gazetted versions confirmed that accountability provisions were deleted and new clauses inserted.
The party alleged that some of the inserted provisions grant coercive powers to the executive without recourse to the courts.
“For example, one of the criminal insertions into the laws grants the government of Bola Tinubu the express power to arrest and take over the property of anyone who does not comply with the tax laws.
“This issue goes beyond taxation. It speaks to the criminal mindset of a government that has no ethical boundaries, has no regard for democratic institutions and will do anything to pursue its narrow selfish agenda,” it said.
The opposition party said altering laws after passage by elected representatives amounts to an assault on constitutional governance.
The ADC said the alleged action reflects “totalitarian instincts” and a disregard for the separation of powers.
“For avoidance of doubt, under our constitution, only the legislature can make laws. To accept that the executive could whimsically insert or remove even a punctuation mark from a piece of legislation after it has been passed by the legislature is to arrogate law-making powers on the executive arm of government,” it said.
The party warned that such actions pose a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy, reiterating its call for the immediate suspension of all the 2025 tax laws signed by Tinubu.
The party said the suspension would allow for a full legislative review and protect the principle of separation of powers.
The ADC also called for the investigation and prosecution of any government official found culpable in what it described as legislative forgery.
