Atiku faults re-gazetting of tax reform laws, demands fresh legislative process
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has raised alarm over the confirmation by the senate that the gazetted version of the Tinubu Tax Act does not reflect what was duly passed by the National Assembly, describing the situation as a grave constitutional issue.
In a statement, Abubakar stressed that a law published in a form not approved by the legislature is “not law, but “a nullity.”
He noted that under section 58 of the 1999 Constitution, the lawmaking process requires passage by both chambers, presidential assent, and gazetting — a purely administrative act of publication that does not create or amend law.
Abubakar warned that any post-passage insertion, deletion, or modification of a bill without legislative approval amounts to forgery, not a clerical error, and no directive from the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, or the Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house of representatives, can validate such defects.
He criticised attempts to rush a re-gazetting while stalling legislative investigation, saying it undermines parliamentary oversight and sets a dangerous precedent.
According to the former vice-president, the only lawful path is fresh legislative consideration, re-passage by both chambers, fresh presidential assent, and proper gazetting.
“This is not opposition to tax reform. It is a defence of the integrity of the legislative process and a rejection of any attempt to normalise constitutional breaches through procedural shortcuts,” he said.
