Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned what he described as the illegal alteration of President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform laws after their passage by the National Assembly, warning that the alleged action amounts to “a brazen act of treason against the Nigerian people” and a grave threat to constitutional democracy.
In a strongly worded statement, Atiku accused the executive branch of undermining legislative supremacy by allegedly inserting provisions into the tax laws without parliamentary approval, in violation of Sections 4 and 58 of the 1999 Constitution.
“The illegal and unauthorized alterations made to Nigeria’s tax legislation after passage by the National Assembly represent a brazen act of treason against the Nigerian people and a direct assault on our constitutional democracy,” Atiku said.
He described the alleged changes as a “draconian overreach” that signals a government more focused on extracting wealth from struggling citizens than empowering them to prosper.
Alleged Unconstitutional Insertions
According to Atiku, several substantive provisions were allegedly inserted into the tax bills after legislative approval, fundamentally altering their intent and scope.
Among the most troubling, he said, are new coercive enforcement powers allegedly granted to tax authorities, including arrest powers, property seizure and garnishment without court orders, and 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,” he said.
Rising Financial Burdens
Atiku further alleged that the altered laws impose harsher financial obligations on citizens and businesses, including a mandatory 20 per cent security deposit before appealing tax assessments, the application of compound interest on tax debts, stricter quarterly reporting requirements with lower thresholds, and compulsory dollar-based computations 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,” he stated.
Erosion of Oversight and Accountability
The former vice president also raised alarm over what he described as the removal of key accountability mechanisms from the laws, including the deletion of quarterly and annual reporting obligations to the National Assembly, the elimination of strategic planning submissions, and the removal of ministerial supervisory provisions.
“By stripping away oversight mechanisms, the government has insulated itself from accountability while expanding its powers — a hallmark of authoritarian governance,” Atiku warned.
‘A Government Against Its People’
Placing the controversy within Nigeria’s broader socio-economic challenges, Atiku argued that the alleged constitutional breach reflects a deeper governance failure.
“Nigeria’s poverty rate remains alarmingly high, unemployment continues to devastate families, and inflation erodes purchasing power daily,” he said. “Yet rather than supporting citizens to become more productive and expand the tax base organically, this administration chooses aggressive extraction from an already struggling populace.”
He stressed that sustainable economic growth depends on empowering citizens, not burdening them with punitive taxation and weakened legal protections.
“True economic growth comes from empowering citizens, not impoverishing them further through punitive taxation and erosion of legal protections,” he added.
Calls for Immediate Action
Atiku called on key institutions to act decisively to address the alleged irregularities. He urged the executive to immediately suspend the implementation of the tax laws scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026, pending a thorough investigation.
He also asked the National Assembly to rectify the alleged illegal alterations through proper legislative procedures and to hold those responsible accountable, while urging the judiciary to strike down any unconstitutional provisions.
In addition, Atiku appealed to civil society and Nigerians at large to reject what he described as “this assault on democratic principles,” and called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate and prosecute anyone found culpable.
“What the National Assembly did not pass cannot become law,” he declared. “This fundamental principle must be defended, or we risk descending into arbitrary rule where constitutional safeguards mean nothing.”
Concluding, Atiku said Nigerians deserve governance rooted in accountability, constitutional compliance, and economic policies that promote shared prosperity rather than deepen hardship.
