The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has called for the immediate suspension of the Tax Reform Acts following the alleged alteration of the tax laws.
In a statement signed by the NBA President on Tuesday, Mazi Afam Osigwe, the Association noted that 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.
“These developments strike at the very heart of constitutional governance and call into question the procedural sanctity that must attend lawmaking in a democratic society,” Osigwe stated, while calling for a comprehensive, open, and transparent investigation to clarify the circumstances surrounding the enactment of the laws and to restore public confidence in the legislative process.
“Until these issues are fully examined and resolved, all plans for the implementation of the Tax Reform Acts should be immediately suspended,” he said, stressing that legal and policy uncertainty of this magnitude has far-reaching consequences.
The NBA President continued: “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.”
He emphasised that Nigeria’s constitutional democracy demands that laws, especially those with profound economic and social implications, emerge from processes that are transparent, accountable, and beyond reproach, adding that anything short of this undermines public trust and weakens the foundation upon which lawful governance rests.
The Association further called on all relevant authorities to act swiftly and responsibly in addressing the controversy, in the overriding interest of constitutional order, economic stability, and the preservation of the rule of law.
