Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) have called on the Federal Government to suspend the implementation of the newly gazetted tax laws, citing alleged illegal alterations made after the National Assembly had passed the bills.
The laws, scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026, are accused of containing provisions that were not approved by lawmakers but allegedly inserted by the executive arm of government.
The controversy was first raised by Abdussamad Dasuki, a Sokoto lawmaker in the House of Representatives, who stated that the version gazetted by the Federal Government differed significantly from the copy transmitted to President Bola Tinubu for assent. In response, the House constituted a seven-member investigative panel to probe the allegations.
In a strongly worded statement, Atiku described the alleged changes as a “grave assault on legislative supremacy”, warning that such actions undermine Nigeria’s constitutional democracy. He accused the executive of introducing coercive enforcement powers, imposing harsher financial obligations on citizens, and removing accountability mechanisms without parliamentary approval.
According to Atiku and the NBA, the allegedly inserted provisions include:
Arrest powers for tax authorities
Property seizure and garnishment without court orders
Enforcement sales without judicial oversight
A mandatory 20% security deposit before appealing tax assessments
Compound interest on tax debts
Increased reporting requirements for businesses
They warned that these measures strip Nigerians of due process, increase compliance costs for businesses, and create barriers for citizens seeking to challenge unfair tax assessments.
Atiku further accused the government of removing oversight provisions such as mandatory reporting to the National Assembly and ministerial supervision, describing the move as a hallmark of authoritarian governance.
He called on:
The National Assembly to reverse the alleged illegal alterations
The judiciary to strike down unconstitutional provisions
The EFCC to investigate and prosecute those responsible
Nigerians and civil society groups to resist what he termed an erosion of democratic principles
The NBA also warned that continued legal uncertainty could erode investor confidence, destabilise the business environment, and create unpredictability for individuals and institutions.
Government Response
Amid public concerns, the Executive Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Revenue Service, Mr. Okon Okon, dismissed claims that bank accounts would be restricted without a Tax Identification Number (TIN) from January 1, 2026, describing such reports as misinformation.
He clarified that:
Personal bank savings are not taxable
Nigerians can still access their accounts without a TIN
A new Joint Tax Board platform allows citizens to generate TINs in 20 seconds using their NIN and date of birth
Okon said the tax reforms aim to reduce multiple taxation, cut the number of taxes from 63 to about 10, simplify collection responsibilities across government tiers, and stimulate economic growth.
