The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has condemned, what it called the shocking allegations that Nigeria’s tax reform bills were tampered with in the shadows after being passed by the National Assembly.
Executive Director, CHRICED, Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, on Saturday said the development is not a clerical error, not a misunderstanding, but a direct assault on Nigeria’s democracy.
“The revelations raised by Hon. Abdulsammad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto) expose what appears to be a deliberate, coordinated attempt to rewrite the will of the Nigerian people behind closed doors. If proven, this is nothing short of legislative forgery -a criminal hijacking of the law-making process,” Zikirullahi said.
He recalled reports showing that the gazetted versions of the tax laws contain smuggled provisions that lawmakers never debated, never approved, and never passed.
According to him among these illegal insertions are: powers allowing tax authorities to seize funds without court orders -a brazen attempt to strip the judiciary of its constitutional role; and a punitive requirement forcing taxpayers to pay 20% of disputed assessments before they can even appeal -an outrageous burden never approved by the legislature.
Also is a mandate to use the U.S. dollar as the sole currency for tax computation -an insertion that defies logic, sovereignty, and legislative authority; and altered provisions on petroleum income tax and value added tax, which lawmakers did not authorise.
The CHRICED boss said that these are not mistakes, but acts of impunity.
He said, “Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution is clear: no one—absolutely no one—has the power to alter a bill after passage except the National Assembly. Any attempt to do so is unconstitutional, illegal, and a betrayal of public trust.
“Those who tampered with these laws have not only violated the Constitution—they have violated the Nigerian people.
“This scandal strikes at the very foundation of our democracy. When laws can be rewritten in secret, without oversight, without debate, and without the consent of elected representatives, then the rule of law collapses. Investors lose confidence. Citizens lose trust. And democracy becomes a facade.”
Zikirullahi, however, acknowledges Speaker Abbas Tajudeen’s decision to set up a seven-man ad hoc committee.
He said, “But let it be clear: this is only the beginning. Nigerians will not accept a whitewash. We will not accept excuses. We will not accept silence.
“And silence is exactly what we have received from the Presidency and the Senate—more than 48 hours after these allegations became public. Their refusal to speak is unacceptable. Their silence is dangerous. Their inaction is an insult to every Nigerian who believes in democracy.”
He therefore, demands a full, independent, time bound investigation -not controlled by those who may be implicated; immediate suspension of the implementation of all affected tax laws until the truth is established; and suspension, dismissal, arrest, and prosecution of every official -no matter how highly placed -who participated in or enabled this constitutional violation.
The CHRICED boss also demanded full public disclosure of all investigative findings; concrete institutional safeguards to ensure that no law in Nigeria can ever again be altered in secret.
He also urged civil society, labour unions, professional bodies, the media, student movements, and every Nigerian who believes in justice to remain alert and vocal.
“We must not allow this scandal to be buried. We must not allow democracy to be reduced to a rubber stamp. We must not allow the Constitution to be trampled by those who swore to uphold it. This is a defining moment for Nigeria. Either we defend the sanctity of our laws, or we surrender our democracy to impunity,” Zikirullahi said.
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