Implementing Disputed Tax Reform Insult To Nigerians, Says Deji Adeyanju

Lawyer and human rights activist Deji Adeyanju, has condemned the decision of President Bola Tinubu to proceed with the implementation of the disputed Tax Reform Act from January 1.

Adeyanju, in a statement issued on Thursday, described the move as an insult to Nigerians and a grave assault on the rule of law.

He said it was unacceptable for the President to insist on enforcing a law that is allegedly riddled with controversies, including claims of forgery and breaches of constitutional legislative procedures.

According to him, “For President Tinubu to insist on implementing the disputed Tax Reform Act despite the unresolved allegations of forgery and clear breaches of constitutional process is an insult to the Nigerian nation and to the very idea of the rule of law.”

He argued that no responsible government should enforce a law whose legitimacy is being questioned, especially when concerns have been raised about whether due process was followed in its passage.

“The rule of law demands that laws must emerge from transparent and constitutional procedures. When there are serious disputes about how a law came into existence, the proper thing is to resolve those issues first, not to bulldoze implementation,” Adeyanju said.

The activist also questioned the President’s authority to unilaterally write off debts allegedly owed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), describing such action as constitutionally questionable.

“Where did President Tinubu derive the power to unilaterally write off NNPC debts? Under our constitutional democracy, public debts and liabilities are not matters of personal discretion. They require clear legal backing and, in many cases, legislative approval,” he stated.

Adeyanju warned that allowing the executive arm to act outside constitutional limits sets a dangerous precedent and weakens democratic institutions.