*Says Controversies Cast Doubt on Sanctity of Nigeria’s Lawmaking Process
![](https://thenigerialawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/idrinstitute.png")
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for the immediate suspension of plans to implement the Tax Reform Acts, demanding a comprehensive, open, and transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding their enactment.
In a press release dated December 23, 2025, and signed by the NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, the association stated that controversies surrounding the recently enacted laws “raise grave concerns about the integrity, transparency, and credibility of Nigeria’s legislative process.”
“The controversies that have emerged in relation to the recently enacted Tax Reform Acts raise grave concerns about the integrity, transparency, and credibility of Nigeria’s legislative process. These developments strike at the very heart of constitutional governance and call into question the procedural sanctity that must attend lawmaking in a democratic society,” Osigwe stated.
The NBA President said: “The Nigerian Bar Association considers it imperative that a comprehensive, open, and transparent investigation be conducted to clarify the circumstances surrounding the enactment of the laws and to restore public confidence in the legislative process.”
“Until these issues are fully examined and resolved, all plans for the implementation of the Tax Reform Acts should be immediately suspended,” Osigwe declared.
The NBA President warned that legal and policy uncertainty of this magnitude has far-reaching consequences.
“It unsettles the business environment, erodes investor confidence, and creates unpredictability for individuals, businesses, and institutions required to comply with the law. Such uncertainty is inimical to economic stability and should have no place in a system governed by the rule of law,” he stated.
Osigwe emphasized that Nigeria’s constitutional democracy places specific demands on the lawmaking process.
“Nigeria’s constitutional democracy demands that laws, especially those with profound economic and social implications, emerge from processes that are transparent, accountable, and beyond reproach. Anything short of this undermines public trust and weakens the foundation upon which lawful governance rests,” he said.
“We therefore call on all relevant authorities to act swiftly and responsibly in addressing this controversy, in the overriding interest of constitutional order, economic stability, and the preservation of the rule of law,” the NBA President concluded.
TAX REFORM ACTS PRESS RELEASE 23 12 25The NBA’s statement comes amid mounting allegations that the Tax Reform Acts gazetted and released to the public differ from the versions passed by the National Assembly.
Multiple lawmakers, including Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki and Hon. Mansur Manu Soro, have raised concerns about alleged discrepancies between the bills approved by legislators and the gazetted versions.
The House of Representatives has constituted a seven-man ad hoc committee to investigate the allegations.
Opposition figures including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State governor Peter Obi have also called for suspension of implementation pending clarification.
The Arewa Youth Assembly and other groups have rejected the laws, describing the alleged alterations as “governance by ambush” and a constitutional crisis.
The Presidency has dismissed the allegations as “opposition noise” and insists that implementation will proceed as scheduled on January 1, 2026.
Presidential spokespersons have stated that the allegations have not been established by any constituted authority and that the House committee investigating the matter should be allowed to complete its work.
A timely new publication, Casebook on Privacy & Data Protection in Nigeria, co-authored by Olumide Babalola and Uchenna Nnawuchi,📘Casebook on Privacy & Data Protection in Nigeria is now available on Amazon:https://a.co/d/8TmFZrd
______________________________________________________________________
[A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
How to Order:
📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878
📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com
🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com
Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626
_____________________________________________________________________
