Group Drags Nigerian Government to ECOWAS Court Over Alleged Tampering with Tax Laws

The Network for the Actualisation of Social Growth and Viable Development (NEFGAD) has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, alleging unlawful alterations to recently enacted tax legislation.

The suit, registered as ECW/CCJ/APP/10/26, was submitted on February 23, 2026. It follows earlier correspondence from the group to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly leadership, calling for a probe into claims that the Tax Administration Act, 2025, and other related laws were modified after they had been passed by the legislature and signed by the President.

Filed by their counsel, Elvis O. Ejeta of Elvis Ejeta & Partners, the application invokes provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the ECOWAS Revised Treaty, among other regional legal instruments.

According to the group, a preliminary review by the National Assembly reportedly acknowledged that the situation raises serious constitutional and democratic concerns.

In its application, NEFGAD is seeking a range of judicial remedies. These include a request for the court to annul the gazetted version of the Tax Administration Act, 2025, and related acts, arguing that only the text originally approved by the National Assembly should stand as law.

The organization is also asking for an order mandating the government to revert specific provisions such as reporting thresholds and enforcement rules to their original form.

The group further contends that the alleged alterations infringe upon Nigerians’ rights to fair hearing, participation, and property, as protected under regional human rights charters.

Additional reliefs sought include an injunction to halt the enforcement of the contested provisions and a directive compelling the government to publish certified true copies of the tax acts as originally enacted. The group is also demanding compensation for Nigerians who may have suffered losses or penalties as a result of the enforcement of the allegedly unlawful provisions.

Describing the matter as fundamental to democratic governance, NEFGAD warned that unauthorized changes to duly passed laws undermine public trust and threaten investor confidence. It has called on civil society and state institutions to back efforts aimed at preserving the integrity of the legislative process.