Suspend January 2026 Implementation of New Tax Laws – Senator tells President Tinubu

Suspend January 2026 Implementation of New Tax Laws – Senator tells President Tinubu

Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to postpone the implementation of Nigeria’s new tax laws, originally scheduled for January 1, 2026, citing growing public concern and controversy.

Ndume made the call in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, emphasizing that moving forward with the rollout without resolving allegations of tampering could undermine the legitimacy of the laws.

The appeal comes amid growing calls for suspension from other stakeholders, including the Nigerian Bar Association, which has also urged the government to halt the implementation pending thorough review.

Last week, House of Representatives member Abdussamad Dasuki raised concerns in Parliament over alleged alterations to the tax laws, prompting calls for a formal investigation.

Responding to the controversy, Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, told Arise Television on Wednesday that Nigerians should remain calm and allow lawmakers to complete their inquiries before drawing conclusions.

Ndume stressed that proceeding without addressing the alleged forgery would create a “legitimacy challenge” for the new tax framework, underscoring the need for transparency and due process.

His statement read, “With the controversy surrounding it, the President should constitute a team to verify the veracity of the claim and act accordingly.

“As the responsive leader that he has always been, he should look at it to find out if the copy that was signed and the claim of alterations are genuine so that he will do the needful to bring the controversy to rest.

“If not, the controversy will continue.” That is to say, the tax law will not be implemented, because you can’t build on nothing.

“So, Mr. President should suspend the implementation until the issues are resolved because so many civil society organizations, the Arewa Community, and the Nigerian Bar Association are saying that he should withdraw the tax law and investigate the allegation of forgery.” Therefore, Mr President should get to the root of the allegation of forgery. The small committee that will be set up should look into it while the House of Representatives does its own.”