The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has urged the Federal Government to suspend the implementation of the 2025 tax laws, citing what it describes as a “forgery” of certain provisions.
Spokesman for the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, has accused the government of amending various sections of the tax laws, including “criminal insertions” that allegedly grant the “Bola Tinubu government the explicit authority to arrest and seize the property of anyone who fails to comply with the tax regulations.”
“The ADC calls for the immediate suspension of all 2025 tax laws enacted by President Bola Tinubu to facilitate a comprehensive legislative review,” the opposition party stated in a release on Saturday, attributed to Abdullahi, a former member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“This is the only sensible course of action to avoid the dangerous implication that the principle of separation of powers enshrined in our Constitution can be bypassed by the President.”
The ADC argues that this call was prompted by their “forensic” review of the original laws passed by the National Assembly and the gazetted versions, which “confirmed beyond all doubt that essential accountability provisions were removed and new provisions inserted.”
It contends that this grants “coercive powers to the Executive in enforcing the tax laws without judicial oversight.”
The party believes the alleged amendments to the original laws extend “beyond taxation.”
“It reflects the criminal mindset of a government devoid of ethical boundaries, lacking respect for democratic institutions, and willing to do anything to pursue its narrow, selfish agenda,” the statement from the party, led by former Senate President David Mark, read in part.
President Bola Tinubu signed the four tax reform bills into law in June, concluding months of scrutiny and intense debate among lawmakers and the public.
The four bills, now enacted, are the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.
The Tinubu administration has scheduled the implementation of these laws for January 2026.
However, just days ago, House of Representatives member Abdussamad Dasuki raised concerns over discrepancies in the law, asserting that certain provisions in the gazetted version differed from those approved by the National Assembly.
In light of these allegations, opposition figures such as Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, along with other lawmakers, have called for the Federal Government to halt the implementation of the laws.
Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, has stated that, contrary to speculation, the Federal Government is not introducing any new laws.
