• Pyrates fumes over secrecy, alleged alterations

By Wale Sanyaolu and Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has accused the Federal Government of secretly altering Nigeria’s newly gazetted tax reform laws after their passage by the National Assembly.

In a statement by its National Coordinator, Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, it described the alleged action as rascality and an executive usurpation of legislative powers, warning that it poses a serious threat to democracy.

The group claimed that key provisions of the tax laws were deleted, rewritten or newly inserted, including clauses on VAT, petroleum income tax, tax computation currency, appeal conditions and garnishee powers.

The coalition said the changes were substantive, unconstitutional and never approved by lawmakers, adding that they amount to fraud and an economic ambush on Nigerians.

It demanded the immediate suspension of the Tax Reform Act, a full investigation by the National Assembly and the prosecution of all those involved.

It warned that Nigerians would resist compliance with any tax law tainted by secrecy and illegitimacy, insisting that democracy must be defended.

Similarly, the National Association of Seadogs (NAS), Pyrates Confraternity, has expressed concern over the ongoing tax reform process, warning that growing questions around transparency, legality and sovereignty now threaten to overshadow the substance of the reforms.

In a statement by its Cap’n, Dr Joseph Oteri, the Association acknowledged the necessity of tax reform but cautioned that the manner in which the new tax laws and related agreements were being handled, risks provoking a legitimacy crisis capable of eroding public trust, voluntary compliance and constitutional order.

Of particular concern is Nigeria’s recent tax-related memorandum of understanding (MoU) with France, which NAS said appears to have been concluded with limited public disclosure and inadequate legislative scrutiny.

Reports suggesting expanded information exchange, cross-border tax enforcement powers and extensive data-sharing obligations, it warned, raise serious red flags.

“International tax cooperation must not come at the expense of fiscal sovereignty, taxpayer rights or democratic oversight. Any agreement that potentially exposes Nigerian citizens and businesses to foreign tax authorities requires transparency, reciprocity and explicit parliamentary approval,” the statement said.

The Association warned that any perception that Nigeria is conceding disproportionate control over taxpayer data or fiscal decision-making under external pressure is deeply troubling, especially given persistent weaknesses in data protection enforcement and existing trust deficits in public institutions. It is important that these public  concerns are addressed and clarified.

Closely linked to this is the planned expansion of the Tax Identification Number (TIN) regime into a fully data-driven tax administration system.

While recognising the benefits of modernisation, NAS cautioned that a surveillance-heavy tax architecture without strong legal safeguards, independent oversight and enforceable data privacy protections would provoke resistance rather than compliance.

More troubling still, the Association said, are credible allegations that the versions of the Tax Reform Acts signed into law differ materially from those passed by the National Assembly after legislative debate and public hearings.

“Claims that provisions were altered, inserted or removed after legislative passage strike at the heart of constitutional governance, legislative supremacy and the rule of law. If left unresolved, these allegations risk rendering the reforms both legally and morally defective,” NAS warned.

The Association stressed that no tax system could command obedience where citizens believe the law itself has been compromised in its making.

Against this backdrop, NAS urged the Federal Government to immediately publish the official, consolidated texts of all Tax Reform Acts, alongside a clear, line-by-line clarification of the alleged discrepancies between what was passed by the legislature and what was ultimately signed into law.

It also called for early issuance of implementation regulations ahead of January 1, 2026, robust guarantees of taxpayer rights and enforceable data protection standards consistent with constitutional safeguards.

The Association further urged the government to provide transitional fiscal support for economically vulnerable states and sectors, warning that abrupt implementation amid economic fragility could widen inequality and strain national cohesion.

While reaffirming that Nigeria’s tax system, long plagued by inefficiency, revenue leakages and weak compliance, requires reform, NAS noted that measures such as retaining VAT at 7.5 percent, expanding exemptions for essential goods and services and granting reliefs to small businesses offer only limited cushioning.

“Economic concessions cannot compensate for procedural opacity or constitutional defects,” the statement said.

“With escalating living costs, insecurity, infrastructure decay and regulatory inefficiencies already burdening households and businesses, tax reform must not be only economically sound but also procedurally just and transparently enacted.”

The Association concluded that genuine fiscal reform must strengthen, not weaken the social contract.

“A tax system that is efficient but perceived as secretive, externally influenced or legally tainted will fail the citizens legitimacy test.  Nigerians must see their taxes translated into security, services and opportunity, but first, they must trust the law itself,” NAS said.