Peter Obi, former Labour Party presidential candidate, has issued a scathing rebuke of Nigeria’s political leadership following revelations of discrepancies between a tax law debated and passed by the House of Representatives and the version later gazetted by the executive.
In a statement posted on X under the headline “Migrating from Padded Budgets to Forged Laws”, Obi, former governor of Anambra State, described the situation as a “national shame” that exposes deep institutional decay and threatens constitutional governance.
“This shame is highlighted by a deeply troubling, and frankly unacceptable, issue: the documented discrepancies between what the legislature passed and what was ultimately published as law by the executive,” Obi wrote. “This is not merely an administrative oversight; it is a serious matter that strikes at the core of constitutional governance.”
Obi, who came in third in the 2023 presidential election, said Nigeria has now moved beyond the era of inflated budgets to one where laws themselves are allegedly “forged”.
He expressed alarm over provisions that were reportedly inserted into the gazetted law without legislative approval—measures that significantly expand the powers of tax authorities. These include: A mandatory 20% deposit requirement before taxpayers can appeal assessments in court; Authorisation for asset sales without judicial oversight; and Granting arrest powers to tax officials.
“These are coercive powers the House of Representatives never approved,” Obi noted. “They infringe on citizens’ rights and fundamentally undermine access to justice.”
Obi also criticised the silence of President Bola Tinubu’s administration on the matter.
“Perhaps most disturbing is the silence of the Presidency on a matter involving allegations of forgery, institutional sabotage, and abuse of process,” he said. “Who made these alterations?”
He called for urgent public disclosure of all versions of the legislation: what was debated, what was passed, and what was ultimately signed into law. “Nigerians need to understand what was signed, what was passed, and what was formally recorded,” he insisted.
“We cannot continue to ask citizens to pay more taxes while trust in governance collapses.”
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Obi reiterated his vision for governance rooted in due process, transparency, and adherence to the rule of law. “No nation can thrive where laws are forged and silence replaces leadership,” he wrote.
