Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has leveled severe accusations against the administration of President Bola Tinubu, alleging the illegal alteration of Nigeria’s tax reform legislation after its passage by the National Assembly. Atiku described this alleged action as “a brazen act of treason against the Nigerian people and a direct assault on our constitutional democracy,” asserting that the unauthorized changes amount to constitutional violations and executive overreach. He argued that such an alleged forgery undermines the foundational principle of legislative supremacy in law-making and exposes a government more focused on wealth extraction from struggling citizens than their prosperity.

Abubakar characterized the alleged alterations as “draconian,” accusing the executive branch of subverting Sections 4 and 58 of the 1999 Constitution by incorporating provisions that lawmakers never approved. He detailed several “substantive changes” purportedly added post-parliamentary approval, which include granting arrest powers to tax authorities, allowing property seizure and garnishment without court orders, and permitting enforcement sales without judicial oversight. According to Atiku, these provisions transform tax collectors into quasi-law enforcement agencies, thereby stripping Nigerians of due process protections that the National Assembly deliberately ensured.

The former vice president also raised significant concerns about increased financial burdens allegedly imposed on citizens and businesses. He cited a “mandatory 20% security deposit before appealing tax assessments,” the application of “compound interest on tax debts,” “quarterly reporting requirements with lowered thresholds,” and “forced USD computation for petroleum operations.” Atiku contended that these measures create financial barriers preventing ordinary Nigerians from challenging unjust assessments, while simultaneously escalating compliance costs for businesses already grappling with a difficult economy.

Furthermore, Abubakar accused the government of systematically removing crucial accountability mechanisms from the law. These alleged deletions include “quarterly and annual reporting obligations to the National Assembly,” the “elimination of strategic planning submission requirements,” and the “removal of ministerial supervisory provisions.” He warned that by stripping away such oversight, the government has insulated itself from accountability while expanding its powers, a move he described as a “hallmark of authoritarian governance.”

Atiku asserted that this alleged constitutional violation reflects a troubling reality: a government primarily concerned with imposing ever-increasing tax burdens on impoverished Nigerians rather than fostering conditions for prosperity. He highlighted Nigeria’s severe economic challenges, noting an alarmingly high poverty rate, devastating unemployment, and daily erosion of purchasing power due to inflation. In this context, he stated that the administration had chosen “the path of aggressive extraction from an already struggling populace,” emphasizing that true economic growth stems from empowering citizens, not from further impoverishing them through punitive taxation and the erosion of legal protections.

In response, Atiku Abubakar called upon key institutions and stakeholders to intervene. He urged the Executive to immediately suspend the implementation of the tax law, effective January 1, 2026, to allow for a proper investigation. He also demanded that the National Assembly rectify these illegal alterations through proper legislative processes and hold those responsible for this constitutional breach accountable. Additionally, he called on the Judiciary to strike down these unconstitutional provisions and reaffirm the sanctity of the legislative process. Appealing to Civil Society and all Nigerians, Atiku urged them to reject this assault on democratic principles and demand governance that genuinely serves the people, rather than exploiting them. He further pressed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate and prosecute those found culpable in the illegal alteration of laws to extort and defraud Nigerians.

Reiterating a fundamental principle, Atiku stated, “What the National Assembly did not pass cannot become law,” warning that a failure to defend this principle risks a descent into arbitrary rule where constitutional safeguards hold no meaning. These allegations follow a claim by Abdussamad Dasuki, a member of the House of Representatives, that the gazetted tax laws differed from the version passed by the National Assembly, prompting the House to constitute a seven-member ad hoc committee to investigate the reported discrepancies. While Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, maintained that only one version of the tax laws exists and stated that the executive would await the outcome of the National Assembly’s probe, Atiku's call for an EFCC investigation underscores the gravity of the accusations.