The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has called for suspension of the Tax Reform Acts over alleged alteration of some sections in the gazetted version, as opposed to what was passed by the National Assembly.
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar also called for the immediate suspension of the new tax laws over alleged alterations made after passage by the National Assembly just as he tasked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to investigate the illegal and unauthorised alterations, saying the alleged changes represent a brazen act of treason against the Nigerian people and a direct assault on our constitutional democracy.
Abubakar accused the executive of engaging in what he called a draconian overreach that undermines legislative supremacy and prioritizes revenue extraction over citizens welfare. This came as the two chambers of the National Assembly yesterday ignored the alteration controversies trailing the tax reform acts, which implementation is scheduled to start on January 1, 2026, and proceeded on Christmas and New Year break that will end on January 27, 2026.
The lawmakers, however, approved the repeal and re-enactment of the 2024 and 2025 budgets. They also approved N43.561 trillion for 2024 and N48.316 trillion for 2025, and extended implementation period of the 2025 Appropriation Bill to March 31, 2026. This was as the N58 trillion Appropriation Bill for 2026 entered second reading at the Senate.
