Human rights activist and lawyer Deji Adeyanju has strongly condemned reports suggesting that the tax reform bill signed by President Bola Tinubu differs significantly from the version approved by the National Assembly.
In a statement released on Thursday, Adeyanju characterised the alleged alteration as a “mockery of Nigeria’s democracy” if the claims prove accurate. He warned that any modification of legislation after parliamentary approval represents a grave violation of constitutional procedure and threatens the sovereignty of Nigerian citizens.
“There are disturbing reports that the tax reform bill assented to by President Bola Tinubu is materially different from the version duly passed by the National Assembly. If this allegation is true, it represents the greatest mockery of Nigeria’s democracy since 1999,” Adeyanju stated.
The activist emphasised that under Nigeria’s constitutional framework, the president’s authority is limited to signing the exact version of legislation transmitted by the legislature. He cautioned that any deviation from this protocol constitutes fraud.
“In a sane constitutional democracy, the President can only assent to the exact bill passed by the legislature. Any post-passage alteration, whether by omission, addition or substitution, amounts to legislative fraud and an affront to the sovereignty of the Nigerian people,” he declared.
Adeyanju demanded that the Tinubu administration immediately clarify the situation by publishing the authenticated version of the bill passed by the National Assembly to address public concerns.
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“The Tinubu administration must immediately come clean with an explanation and publish the authenticated version of the bill passed by the National Assembly,” he said, warning that failure to do so would erode public trust and raise serious questions about the integrity of the lawmaking process.
“Anything short of this shows that the Tinubu administration is a criminal enterprise masquerading as a government,” he added.
The activist called on the National Assembly leadership and other relevant authorities to ensure transparency and accountability in legislative procedures, noting that democracy depends on strict adherence to constitutional processes.
Adeyanju also urged civil society organisations and the media to scrutinise the allegations closely to protect Nigeria’s democratic institutions and prevent what he described as dangerous precedents from taking root.
