…Questions legitimacy of lawmaking process
Our Reporter, Abuja
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has raised serious concerns over the controversies trailing the recently enacted Tax Reform Acts, warning that the developments cast doubt on the integrity and credibility of Nigeria’s lawmaking process.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the President of the NBA, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, said the disputes surrounding the passage of the laws strike at the core of constitutional governance and threaten the procedural sanctity expected in a democratic society.
According to Osigwe, the association considers it imperative that a “comprehensive, open, and transparent investigation” be carried out to clarify the circumstances under which the Tax Reform Acts were enacted. He added that such a step is necessary to restore public confidence in the legislative process.
“Until these issues are fully examined and resolved, all plans for the implementation of the Tax Reform Acts should be immediately suspended,” the NBA president stated.
Osigwe warned that the legal and policy uncertainty arising from the controversy could have significant economic implications. He noted that uncertainty of this nature unsettles the business environment, erodes investor confidence, and creates unpredictability for individuals, businesses, and institutions expected to comply with the law.
“Such uncertainty is inimical to economic stability and should have no place in a system governed by the rule of law,” he said.
The NBA further emphasized that Nigeria’s constitutional democracy requires that laws, particularly those with far-reaching economic and social consequences, must emanate from processes that are transparent, accountable, and beyond reproach. Any deviation from these standards, the association warned, undermines public trust and weakens the foundations of lawful governance.
Osigwe therefore called on all relevant authorities to act swiftly and responsibly to address the controversy, stressing that doing so is crucial in the interest of constitutional order, economic stability, and the preservation of the rule of law.
