Lagos, Nigeria – Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed serious concerns regarding the gazetted version of the Tinubu Tax Act, stating that it does not reflect the law as duly passed by the National Assembly.
In a Twitter post on Sunday, Starnews NG reports that Atiku said the discrepancy raises significant constitutional issues.
He stated, “A law that was never passed in the form in which it was published is not law. It is a nullity.” According to Atiku, the process outlined in Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution is clear and exclusive: a bill must be passed by both chambers of the legislature, receive presidential assent, and only then be gazetted. He emphasised that gazetting is merely an administrative act of publication that does not create or amend laws.
Atiku highlighted that any alterations made to a bill after it has been passed, without the necessary legislative approval, amount to forgery rather than clerical error.
He asserted, “No administrative directive by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, or the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, can validate such a defect or justify a re-gazetting without re-passage and fresh presidential assent.”
He further condemned attempts to expedite a re-gazetting while hindering legislative investigation, labelling it as a move that undermines parliamentary oversight and sets a dangerous precedent. “Illegality cannot be cured by speed,” he warned, insisting that the appropriate course of action would involve fresh legislative consideration, re-passage by both chambers, and proper gazetting.
Atiku clarified that his stance is not an opposition to tax reform but rather a defence of the integrity of the legislative process. He concluded, “This is a rejection of any attempt to normalise constitutional breaches through procedural shortcuts.”
The former Vice President’s statements have sparked discussions about the importance of legislative integrity and the need for accountability in Nigeria’s governance.
Leave a Reply