The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has launched a severe accusation against the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alleging the criminal forgery of recently passed tax legislation. The opposition party claims that the final, gazetted versions of the laws contain provisions that were never approved by the National Assembly.
Allegations of Criminal Insertions and Deletions
In a strongly-worded statement released by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC detailed what it described as a forensic review of the laws. The party asserts that the gazetted versions differ substantially from the bills passed by the legislature. According to the ADC, key accountability measures were secretly removed, while new, draconian clauses were inserted.
One particularly alarming insertion, highlighted by the party, allegedly grants the Tinubu government the explicit power to arrest individuals and confiscate property of those deemed non-compliant with the tax laws, bypassing judicial oversight. The ADC condemned this as a grant of coercive power to the executive arm, made without any recourse to the courts.
A Direct Assault on Constitutional Governance
The party framed the alleged act not merely as a policy dispute, but as a fundamental attack on Nigeria's democracy. The ADC stated that tampering with legislation after it has been passed by the 469 elected representatives of the National Assembly constitutes a direct assault on the principle of separation of powers.
"More fundamentally, it is indicative of the totalitarian instincts of a President desirous of concentrating all powers of government to himself," the statement read. The party warned that accepting that the executive could whimsically alter passed laws portends great danger for the nation's democratic foundations.
Calls for Suspension and Prosecution
The ADC has issued a two-pronged demand to the authorities. First, it calls for the immediate suspension of all the 2025 tax laws signed by President Tinubu, which are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026. This suspension, they argue, is necessary to allow for a full legislative review to determine the exact extent of the forgery.
Secondly, the party demands a public judicial inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alterations. It insists that any government official found culpable in this act of forgery must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The ADC emphasized that this issue transcends taxation, pointing to what it calls the "criminal mindset" of a government with no ethical boundaries.
The party concluded by reaffirming its opposition to any tax policies that compound the hardship faced by Nigerians, but stressed that the current allegations strike at the very heart of constitutional order and must be addressed with utmost urgency.
