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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has said alleged alteration of tax laws passed earlier in the year by the National Assembly was an act of treason against Nigerians and an assault on constitutional democracy.
Atiku, in a statement yesterday, stated that the alleged alteration undermines the supremacy of the legislature as the lawmaking organ of the government.
The member of the House of Representatives, representing Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency of Sokoto State, Abdussamad Dasuki, last week raised the alarm over alleged alteration of the tax reform laws passed earlier in the year by the National Assembly.
Dasuki alleged that the gazetted copy of the tax laws currently in circulation is different from the harmonised version or the legislations passed by the parliament.
The House, in response, set up a seven-man Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the alleged alterations and report back to the House for further legislative actions.
Nonetheless, the former Atiku noted that alleged new insertions into the tax law include “ New Coercive Powers Without Legislative Consent – arrest powers granted to tax authorities, property seizure and garnishment without court orders, enforcement sales conducted without judicial oversight
“These provisions transform tax collectors into quasi-law enforcement agencies, stripping Nigerians of due process protections that the National Assembly deliberately included.
“Increased Financial Burdens on Citizens mandatory 20 percent security deposit before appealing tax assessments- compound interest on tax debts, quarterly reporting requirements with lowered thresholds, forced USD computation for petroleum operations
“These changes erect financial barriers that prevent ordinary Nigerians from challenging unjust assessments while increasing compliance costs for businesses already struggling in a difficult economy.
“Removal of Accountability Mechanisms-deletion of quarterly and annual reporting obligations to the National Assembly, elimination of strategic planning submission requirements, removal of ministerial supervisory provisions.”
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According to him, “by stripping away oversight mechanisms, the government has insulated itself from accountability while expanding its powers—a hallmark of authoritarian governance.
“This constitutional violation exposes a troubling reality: a government obsessed with imposing ever-increasing tax burdens on impoverished Nigerians rather than creating conditions for prosperity. Instead of investing in infrastructure, education, healthcare, and economic empowerment that would expand the tax base organically, this administration chooses the path of aggressive extraction from an already struggling populace.
“Nigeria’s poverty rate remains alarmingly high, unemployment continues to devastate families, and inflation erodes purchasing power daily. Yet rather than supporting citizens to become more productive, thereby generating sustainable tax revenues, the government employs draconian measures to squeeze resources from people who have little left to survive.
“True economic growth comes from empowering citizens, not impoverishing them further through punitive taxation and erosion of legal protections. A thriving economy with prosperous citizens naturally generates robust tax revenues. But this requires vision, investment, and patience, qualities evidently lacking in an administration that resorts to constitutional manipulation to achieve short-term fiscal goals.”
Consequently, Atiku called for the immediate suspension of the implementation of the tax law effective January 1, 2026 to give room for a proper investigation.
He also charged the National Assembly to “immediately rectify these illegal alterations through proper legislative processes and hold accountable those responsible for this constitutional breach.”
Furthermore, he charged the judiciary to strike down these unconstitutional provisions and reaffirm the sanctity of the legislative process, while the civil society Nigerians to reject “this assault on democratic principles and demand governance that serves the people rather than exploiting them.”
Also, he called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately prosecute those found culpable in the illegal alteration into the tax laws to defraud the citizens.
“What the National Assembly did not pass cannot become law. This fundamental principle must be defended, or we risk descending into arbitrary rule where constitutional safeguards mean nothing.
“The Nigerian people deserve better than a government that circumvents democracy to impose hardship. We demand accountability, constitutional compliance, and economic policies that build prosperity rather than deepen poverty,” Atiku stated.
