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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar denounces alleged unauthorized changes to tax laws as unconstitutional.
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He warns that new provisions strip citizens of due process, increase financial burdens, and remove oversight mechanisms.
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Atiku calls for immediate suspension of the tax law, legislative corrections, and investigations into those responsible.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described the alleged unauthorized alterations to Nigeria’s new tax laws as an act of “treason against the Nigerian people.”
Atiku made the remarks in a statement released on Tuesday, responding to discrepancies reported between the tax bills passed by the National Assembly and the version gazetted by the Presidency.
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According to Atiku, the purported changes represent a “brazen act of treason” and an assault on Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
He argued that the executive branch’s intervention undermines legislative supremacy in lawmaking and demonstrates a government prioritizing revenue extraction over citizen empowerment.
The former Vice President highlighted several of the allegedly inserted provisions, which he said violated Sections 4 and 58 of the 1999 Constitution. Key points include:
New coercive powers granted to tax authorities, including arrest powers, property seizure without court orders, and enforcement sales without judicial oversight.
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Increased financial burdens on citizens, such as mandatory 20% security deposits before tax appeals, compound interest on tax debts, and forced USD computation for petroleum operations.
Removal of accountability mechanisms, including the deletion of reporting obligations to the National Assembly and elimination of ministerial supervision.
“These changes effectively transform tax authorities into quasi-law enforcement agencies while insulating the government from oversight.
“The administration has chosen aggressive extraction from citizens over creating conditions for prosperity, which threatens economic growth and legal protections,”Atiku said.
He called on the Executive to immediately suspend implementation of the tax law effective January 1, 2026, to allow a thorough investigation. Atiku also urged the National Assembly to rectify the illegal alterations and hold responsible parties accountable, while calling on the judiciary to strike down unconstitutional provisions.
Civil society, according to Atiku, should mobilize to defend democratic principles and reject measures that exploit citizens rather than support their economic empowerment.
He also urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate and prosecute individuals implicated in the illegal alterations.
“The National Assembly did not pass these changes; they cannot become law,” Atiku said, warning that failure to uphold constitutional safeguards risks arbitrary governance.
