Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has explained why the newly passed tax laws cannot be implemented by the Federal Government as scheduled.
Speaking to journalists in his hometown of Ilawe-Ekiti on Wednesday, Falana said the laws cannot take effect until controversies surrounding their legitimacy are resolved, particularly allegations of questionable insertions in their provisions.
According to him, the Federal Government ought to have used the final days of 2025 to address the concerns and release clean, authenticated copies of the tax laws ahead of the January 1, 2026 commencement date.
Falana warned that proceeding with implementation without resolving the issues could expose the government to legal challenges.
“If that was not done, the government will put itself in trouble by deciding to implement the laws. There are interest groups ready to challenge the legitimacy of the laws,” he said.
President Bola Tinubu had on Tuesday insisted that there would be no reversal of the January 1, 2026 implementation date for the tax laws.
However, Falana maintained that the laws cannot legally take effect until all disputes over their authenticity and provisions are conclusively settled.
