Former Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi has expressed worry for the Presidency’s silence on a matter involving allegations of forgery, institutional sabotage, and abuse of process of the recently passed tax reform laws.
Mr Obi in a post on his X handle on Saturday who described the presidency’s silence as most disturbing, noted that no nation could thrive where laws are forged and silence replaces leadership.
He submitted that Nigerians need to know the person or people behind the alterations, and also understand what was signed, what was passed, and what was formally recorded. Adding that the government cannot continue to ask citizens to pay more taxes while trust in the government collapses.
“Who made these alterations? All of this must be made public. Nigerians need to understand what was signed, what was passed, and what was formally recorded. We cannot continue to ask citizens to pay more taxes while trust in governance collapses.
“We need leadership that follows due process, embraces transparency and accountability, and respects the rule of law. No nation can thrive where laws are forged and silence replaces leadership,” he noted.
Continuing, the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, said “Our national shame continues to unfold, evident in the decisions made by our leaders, even at the highest levels of government.
“This shame is highlighted by a deeply troubling—and frankly unacceptable—issue: the documented discrepancies between what the legislature passed and what was ultimately published as law by the executive.”
According to him, the issue was not merely an administrative oversight, but a serious matter that strikes at the core of constitutional governance and reveals the extent of the nation’s institutional decay.
“We have transitioned from a Nigeria where budgets are padded to one where laws are forged—changes that impact taxpayers’ rights and, most importantly, access to justice.
“Even more alarming is the introduction of new enforcement and coercive powers that the House of Representatives never approved. These include an outrageous requirement for a mandatory 20% deposit before appeals can be heard in court, asset sales without judicial oversight, and the granting of arrest powers to tax authorities,” he said.
