Amid growing controversy over Nigeria’s tax reform legislation, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged the federal government to halt its implementation, alleging that the law was altered without legislative consent in violation of constitutional provisions governing lawmaking.
Atiku Abubakar condemned what he described as alterations to Nigeria’s tax legislation made after its passage by the National Assembly, accusing the executive arm of government of eroding legislative authority.
The 2023 presidential candidate, in a statement issued on Tuesday, pointed to what he said were unconstitutional provisions in the law, including the granting of arrest powers to tax authorities, property seizures without court orders, and enforcement sales carried out without judicial oversight.
He warned that such measures effectively turn tax officials into quasi-law enforcement agents, depriving Nigerians of due process safeguards intentionally provided by lawmakers.
Atiku also criticised the financial obligations imposed on citizens, citing requirements such as a mandatory 20 per cent security deposit before challenging tax assessments, the introduction of compound interest on tax debts, and compulsory dollar-based calculations for petroleum operations.
He called on the federal government to suspend the implementation of the tax reforms from January 1, 2026, to allow for a thorough investigation into the changes. He further urged the National Assembly and the judiciary to address the alterations through proper legislative and judicial procedures to protect the integrity of the lawmaking process.
Atiku also appealed to civil society groups and Nigerians to reject what he termed an attack on democratic principles and to demand governance that prioritises the welfare of citizens.
In addition, the former vice president called on anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to investigate the matter and hold those responsible accountable.
According to the statement, “The illegal and unauthorized alterations made to Nigeria’s tax legislation after passage by the National Assembly represents a brazen act of treason against the Nigerian people and a direct assault on our constitutional democracy.
“This draconian overreach by the executive branch undermines the foundational principle of legislative supremacy in the making of laws. It reveals a government more interested in extracting wealth from struggling citizens than empowering them to prosper.
“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.
“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.
