LND urges the National Assembly to begin impeachment proceedings against President Tinubu over alleged alterations to a tax law passed by lawmakers.
The League of Northern Democrats (LND) has formally petitioned the leadership of Nigeria’s National Assembly, urging lawmakers to invoke their constitutional powers to begin impeachment proceedings against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu if allegations surrounding a recently assented tax law are confirmed.
In a letter addressed to the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the group called on both chambers to act under Section 143 of the 1999 Constitution. The correspondence, titled “Re: Alleged Alteration of a Duly Passed Tax Law and Your Constitutional Duty to Act,” warns that any material discrepancy between the tax law passed by the National Assembly and the version gazetted and signed by the President would amount to a serious constitutional violation.
The LND argued that the Constitution grants the National Assembly exclusive legislative authority and that any unilateral alteration of a bill by the executive arm constitutes an infringement on parliamentary powers. According to the group, such an action would represent an assault on the separation of powers enshrined in Nigeria’s democratic framework.
The letter, signed in Abuja by the LND’s Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ladan Salihu, emphasized that the President’s role in the legislative process is clearly defined and limited. It stated that the President may only assent to or withhold assent from bills passed by the legislature and does not possess the authority to amend, substitute, or rewrite legislation approved by Parliament.
The controversy follows an allegation raised on the floor of the House of Representatives by Hon. Abdulsammad Dasuki, who claimed that the tax law assented to by the President differs materially from the version duly passed by lawmakers. This claim has since intensified calls for legislative scrutiny and constitutional accountability.
The League maintained that if the allegation is proven, it would amount to an illegal usurpation of legislative powers, a contempt of Parliament, and a grave breach of the Constitution. The group urged the National Assembly to thoroughly investigate the matter and take decisive action to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s constitutional order.