The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for the suspension of the controversial Tax Reform Acts, warning that the controversies trailing the laws cast doubt on the integrity and sanctity of Nigeria’s lawmaking process.
The President Bola Tinubu government has been accused of inserting things into the law, which were not approved by the legislature.
The NBA said in a statement, signed y its president, Maxi Afam Osigwe, that the manner in which the Tax Reform Acts were enacted has generated legal and procedural uncertainties that threaten public confidence in democratic institutions.
“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,” the NBA stated, noting that such developments undermine the procedural sanctity that must attend lawmaking in a democratic society.
According to the NBA, lawmaking in a constitutional democracy must follow clear, open, and verifiable procedures, particularly when the legislation in question has far-reaching economic and social consequences.
“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.”
It therefore called for a comprehensive, open, and transparent investigation to clarify the circumstances surrounding the passage of the laws.
Until such an inquiry, the NBA demanded the immediate suspension of all plans to implement the Tax Reform Acts.
It warned that allowing the laws to take effect amid unresolved controversies would deepen legal and policy uncertainty, with serious implications for the economy.
“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.”
It stressed that Nigeria’s constitutional democracy requires that laws, especially those affecting taxation and economic governance, must emerge from processes that are transparent, accountable, and beyond reproach.
“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,” NBA stated.
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