Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and resolve the controversy surrounding the newly passed Tax Act before its implementation.
The controversy arose after a member of the House of Representatives alleged that the version of the Act passed by the National Assembly differs from the one later gazetted by President Tinubu.
Following the allegation, the House of Representatives set up a committee to investigate the claims, amid plans to commence implementation of the Act on January 1.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, Ndume appealed to the President to suspend the planned January implementation to allow for a thorough investigation into the allegations and counter-allegations of alterations to the tax laws.
His appeal comes amid growing calls from politicians, civil society organisations and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for the suspension of the Act.
The President of the NBA, Mazi Afam Osigwe (SAN), has warned that the controversy poses a threat to the integrity, transparency and credibility of Nigeria’s legislative process, and has called for a comprehensive investigation.
Ndume further urged President Tinubu to constitute an ad hoc committee to probe the allegations, warning that proceeding with implementation without resolving the matter could undermine the legitimacy of the tax laws.
He said the President should verify whether the version of the law he signed was altered, stressing that failure to address the issue would allow the controversy to persist and render the law difficult to implement.
According to Ndume, the President should suspend the implementation of the Tax Act until all concerns are addressed, noting that several stakeholders, including civil society groups, the Arewa community and the NBA, have called for the withdrawal of the law pending a proper investigation.
He added that a small investigative committee should be set up to probe the alleged forgery, alongside the ongoing inquiry by the House of Representatives.