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The Budget Office of the Federation (BOF) has warned against governance paralysis over calls to suspend the newly enacted tax laws, insisting that the Tax Reform Acts were passed through due constitutional process and took effect on January 1, 2026.
The Office, in a statement signed by its Director-General, Tanimu Yakubu, on Wednesday, said the sanctity of the law is central to constitutional democracy.
BOF added that any claim that a law could be changed after debate, passage, authentication, and presidential assent without proper process undermines citizens’ right to transparent and stable governance.
It said government and citizens share a mutual interest in truth, clarity, and due process, stating that public finance relies on trust in the legality and clarity of fiscal laws.
The Office applauded the National Assembly‘s decision to investigate the allegations, stressing that the best way to address claims of illegality is through institutional investigation rather than speculation.
“A nation cannot be governed by insinuation or sustained on circulating documents of uncertain origin,” the statement noted, adding that public confidence, once shaken by speculation, is often difficult to restore.
Regarding access to tax laws, the Office said Nigerians and businesses are entitled to authoritative texts, clarifying that authenticity is determined by certified legislative records and official publication processes, not by informal or viral reproductions.
The BOF also stressed the importance of the separation of powers, warning that claims suggesting Nigeria is governed by fake laws, without facts, risk eroding confidence in democratic institutions. It noted, however, that legislative scrutiny is a constitutional duty and not an act of hostility.
According to the Office, legal certainty underpins revenue projections, macroeconomic stability, budget credibility, and investor confidence.
It said uncertainty around operative tax provisions directly affects economic planning, even though the Office is not the custodian of legislative records.
“Where clarification is required, it must be provided; where correction is required, it must be effected; where investigation is required, it must proceed,” the statement said, adding that governance and reform should not be stalled by unresolved conjecture.
To restore public confidence, the BOF proposed measures including verified reference texts in a single public repository, orderly access to Certified True Copies, clear public explanations where discrepancies are alleged, and strict alignment of implementing regulations with authenticated legal texts.
The Office called taxation a democratic covenant and stated that compliance depends on trust and transparency. It also urged political actors to safeguard institutions and encouraged the public and companies to rely on reliable sources and stop the dissemination of false information.
