According to the SCSN, the tax reforms have profound implications for ordinary Nigerians, businesses, and religious, social, and economic obligations, making any deviation from due legislative process unacceptable.
The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has expressed concerns over what it described as disturbing discrepancies between tax reform bills passed by the National Assembly and the versions later gazetted and presented to the public.
It warned that the alleged alterations pose a grave threat to Nigeria’s constitutional order.
The Council’s reaction followed an alarm raised on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday by Abdulsamad Dasuki, who alleged that clauses not debated or approved by lawmakers appeared in the final tax laws signed by the President.
In a statement signed by its Secretary General, Nafiu Baba-Ahmad, the SCSN said it viewed the allegations with utmost seriousness, noting that if proven, the development would amount to a fundamental constitutional breach with far-reaching implications for democracy, governance, economic stability, and public trust.
“The Council notes with utmost seriousness the allegation that additional clauses and other substantial material alterations appearing in the gazetted tax laws signed by the President were neither debated nor approved by the National Assembly. If established, this represents a grave and egregious constitutional infraction with far-reaching implications for democracy, governance, economic stability, and public trust,” the Council said.
The Islamic body disclosed that it actively monitored and participated in the legislative process leading to the passage of the tax reform bills, stressing that its engagement was driven by the need to promote fairness, equity, transparency, constitutional compliance, and the protection of public interest.
According to the SCSN, the tax reforms have profound implications for ordinary Nigerians, businesses, and religious, social, and economic obligations, making any deviation from due legislative process unacceptable.
The Council said it was shocked and deeply disturbed by claims that what Nigerians debated and agreed upon through their elected representatives may have been altered at the executive level, warning that such an action, if established, would amount to tampering with the sovereign will of the people.
"Such action, if established ,tantamounts to tampering with the sovereign will of the Nigerian people and undermines the very foundation of constitutional governance."
The SCSN called on the leadership of the National Assembly, specifically the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajuddeen Abbas, and the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to urgently intervene by ensuring a transparent examination of the claims before the tax laws are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026.
It demanded that lawmakers be allowed to conduct an open and unhindered comparison between the harmonised bills passed by both chambers of the National Assembly and the versions eventually gazetted, in order to establish the nature, extent, and impact of any alleged alterations.
Warning of dire consequences, the Council said the alleged infractions could erode public trust, weaken the doctrine of separation of powers, expose the laws to constitutional challenges, trigger economic uncertainty, and scare away investors.
“Most critically, they set a dangerous precedent where laws become negotiable instruments rather than binding outcomes of democratic deliberation,” the Council said.
Emphasising the compulsory nature of taxation, the SCSN argued that tax laws demand the highest level of constitutional integrity and procedural fidelity, insisting that Nigerians cannot be expected to comply with fiscal obligations arising from laws whose authenticity is in doubt.
The Council urged all relevant authorities to treat the matter with urgency, sincerity, and transparency to safeguard constitutional order and institutional credibility.
“Nigerians cannot be expected to comply with fiscal obligations arising from laws whose authenticity and legislative origin are in doubt. The Council therefore urges that this matter be treated with urgency, sincerity, and transparency in order to preserve constitutional order, protect institutional credibility, and reaffirm the supremacy of the Nigerian Constitution.
"Nigeria’s democracy must not be undermined by executive overreach or procedural shortcuts. The will of the people, as expressed through the National Assembly, must be respected and defended," they added.