Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned that the Senate’s confirmation that the gazetted tax‑reform law does not match the version passed by the National Assembly constitutes a “grave constitutional issue.” He argues that a law published in a form not approved by lawmakers is null and void.
The controversy centers on the tax‑reform law, which was recently passed by the National Assembly and signed by the President. The Senate has discovered that the gazetted version differs from the text approved by the legislature. Atiku criticized attempts to rush a re‑gazetting of the law while legislative investigations are being stalled, calling such actions an attack on parliamentary oversight and a dangerous precedent.
According to Atiku, the law‑making process outlined in Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution requires passage by both chambers of the National Assembly, presidential assent, and subsequent gazetting. He emphasized that gazetting is merely an administrative act of publication and does not create, amend, or validate a law. Any insertion, deletion, or modification of a bill after passage without legislative approval amounts to forgery, not a clerical error.
The former Vice President warned that no administrative directive from the Senate President or the Speaker of the House of Representatives can cure this defect. The only lawful remedy is a fresh legislative process: re‑passage of the bill in identical form by both chambers, new presidential assent, and proper gazetting.
Atiku’s statement underscores the need to uphold the integrity of the legislative process and reject attempts to normalize constitutional breaches through procedural shortcuts. The issue has significant implications for Nigeria’s legal framework and the rule of law. As the controversy unfolds, observers are watching closely to see how the legislative and executive branches will ensure the tax‑reform law is enacted transparently and lawfully.
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