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By Goli Innocent
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has petitioned the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), urging it to investigate members of the Senate and other public officers over alleged irregularities in the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and the Tax Reform Laws.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP called for a prompt, thorough and transparent investigation into claims that some senators removed provisions on the electronic transmission of election results during plenary, despite a majority vote in favour of their inclusion.
SERAP alleged that the changes were made without debate or adherence to due legislative process.
“According to our information, certain members of the Senate allegedly removed the provisions on electronic transmission of election results from the Electoral Act Amendment Bill during plenary, after the majority of senators had voted for their inclusion and without any debate on the proposed removal,” the organisation said.
The group also asked the CCB to probe reported alterations to the Tax Reform Bills, which allegedly resulted in discrepancies between the versions passed by the National Assembly and those signed into law and gazetted by the Federal Government.
SERAP noted that the issue was earlier raised by a Sokoto lawmaker, Abdussamad Dasuki, under a matter of privilege, drawing attention to differences between the harmonised tax reform bills approved by both chambers of the National Assembly and the gazetted copies released by the Federal Government.
According to lawmakers, the changes reflected in the gazetted laws did not receive legislative approval, raising concerns over the legality and legitimacy of both the law-making process and the final versions circulated by the Ministry of Information.
However, according to reports the Senate has denied removing the electronic transmission provisions, insisting that it only deleted the phrase “real time” due to judicial concerns.
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Similarly, the National Assesedenatembly has said it initiated investigations into the alleged discrepancies in the tax laws and subsequently released “certified” versions of the Acts to address the contradictions. The laws took effect on January 1, 2026.
SERAP said its petition was filed pursuant to Paragraphs 1 and 9 of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers contained in the Fifth Schedule of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as Sections 5 and 13 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.
The organisation alleged that the processes leading to the passage of both the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and the Tax Reform Laws were tainted by alterations made without debate, legislative approval or due process.
“The petition raises issues of abuse of office, conflict of interest, lack of due process and erosion of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers in the exercise of legislative powers,” SERAP stated.
It added that some of the alleged amendments may have been introduced or removed to serve private or political interests rather than the public good.
SERAP urged the CCB to formally register the petition and investigate the conduct of the lawmakers and executive officials involved, determine whether inducements were offered or received, and refer any established violations to the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The group also warned that it may pursue legal action if the Bureau fails to act on the petition within seven days.
Dated February 7, 2026, the petition was signed by Oluwadare and addressed to the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau, Abdullahi Bello.
