Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, has stated that President Bola Tinubu cannot suspend the implementation of already assented and gazetted tax laws.
Speaking on Arise TV, Oyedele said, “The President has no powers, the executive has no powers to suspend it,” warning that doing so could create an administrative crisis for the Nigeria Revenue Service, which has begun implementation.
However, multiple Senior Advocates of Nigeria disagreed, arguing that the laws should not be enforced due to alleged discrepancies between what was passed by the National Assembly and what was gazetted.
Mohammed Abeny, SAN, described Oyedele’s remark as “reckless talk,” while J.K. Gadzama, SAN, called the issue “a serious constitutional and legal crisis.” The lawyers insisted the gazetted version would be “void and unenforceable” if proven altered.
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NBA, Senator Ali Ndume, and civil society groups have joined calls for suspension pending investigation. Ndume urged Tinubu not to enforce the law from January 1, saying implementation without clarity will “create legitimacy challenges.”
The House of Representatives has set up a seven-member ad-hoc committee to investigate alleged alterations and promised a speedy report to restore legislative integrity and public confidence.