The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has described as a grave threat to Nigeria’s democracy, the allegations that the recently passed tax reform bills were secretly altered after approval by the National Assembly.
In a statement in Abuja on Saturday and signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, CHRICED condemned what it called “a direct assault on Nigeria’s constitutional order,” insisting that the alleged tampering goes beyond clerical error and amounts to legislative forgery.
According to the statement, the alleged insertions include powers for tax authorities to seize funds without court orders, a requirement that taxpayers pay 20 per cent of disputed assessments before filing appeals, the use of the United States dollar as the sole currency for tax computation, and unauthorised changes to petroleum income tax and value added tax provisions.
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“These are not mistakes. These are acts of impunity,” the civil society organisation said, arguing that such provisions undermine judicial authority, impose unfair burdens on citizens, and erode Nigeria’s sovereignty.
Citing Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the organisation stressed that no bill can be altered after passage except by the National Assembly itself. Any such action, it said, is unconstitutional and a betrayal of public trust.
“This scandal strikes at the very foundation of our democracy,” the statement noted. “When laws can be rewritten in secret, without oversight or debate, the rule of law collapses, investor confidence is shaken, and citizens lose trust in governance.”
While acknowledging the Speaker of the House of Representatives’ decision to set up a seven-man ad hoc committee to investigate the allegations, CHRICED warned against what it termed a potential “whitewash,” insisting that Nigerians deserve a transparent and credible process.
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The organisation also expressed concern over what it described as the silence of the Presidency and the Senate more than 48 hours after the allegations became public. According to CHRICED, such silence is “unacceptable, dangerous, and an insult to every Nigerian who believes in democracy.”
It called for an immediate suspension of the implementation of the affected tax laws pending the outcome of a full, independent and time-bound investigation. It also demanded the suspension, dismissal, arrest and prosecution of all officials found to have participated in or enabled the alleged alterations, regardless of their status.
Other demands include full public disclosure of investigative findings and the establishment of concrete institutional safeguards to prevent future tampering with laws.
The organisation urged civil society groups, labour unions, professional bodies, the media, students and concerned citizens to remain vigilant and vocal, warning that failure to act decisively could reduce democracy to “a rubber stamp.”
CHRICED affirmed its commitment to defending constitutional governance and calling on Nigerians to stand with it in safeguarding the rule of law.