Peter Obi Lampoons Tinubu's Govt Over Budget Paddings, Forging Of Laws, Lack Of Transparency

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, in 2023, Mr Peter Obi, has blamed the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu, for always making decisions that leave a lot of questions unanswered, noting that the government was fast losing the trust of Nigerians.

Dec 23, 2025 - 20:13

Peter Obi Lampoons Tinubu's Govt Over Budget Paddings, Forging Of Laws, Lack Of Transparency

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, in 2023, Mr Peter Obi, has blamed the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu, for always making decisions that leave a lot of questions unanswered, noting that the government was fast losing the trust of Nigerians.
He said Tinubu was not running a transparent administration and demanded more accountability, transparency and respect for the rule of law from the government.
Obi, also, a former governor of Anambra State spoke in a post on his X weekend, adding that there were discrepancies between laws passed by the legislature and what was ultimately gazetted and published as law by the executive, pointing out that with the current developments, the Federal Government has moved beyond budget padding to forging laws.
According to Obi, the executive was introducing new enforcement and coercive powers that the House of Representatives or the National Assembly never approved.
He spoke against the backdrop of the allegations raised by a member of the House of Representatives, Abdulsammad Dasuki, about discrepancies between tax reform laws passed by the National Assembly and the versions officially published by the executive arm.
The tax reform laws, scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026, include the National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act and the Nigeria Tax Act.
Obi, however, noted that Nigerians need to understand what was signed, what was passed, and what was formally recorded, adding that the government cannot continue to ask citizens to pay more taxes while there was no trust in governance.
His words, “Our national shame continues to unfold, evident in the decisions made by our leaders, even at the highest levels of government.

"This shame is highlighted by a deeply troubling—and frankly unacceptable—issue: the documented discrepancies between what the legislature passed and what was ultimately published as law by the executive.

"This is not merely an administrative oversight; it is a serious matter that strikes at the core of constitutional governance and reveals the extent of our institutional decay.
“We have transitioned from a Nigeria where budgets are padded to one where laws are forged—changes that impact taxpayers’ rights and, most importantly, access to justice.
“Even more alarming is the introduction of new enforcement and coercive powers that the House of Representatives never approved.

"These include an outrageous requirement for a mandatory 20% deposit before appeals can be heard in court, asset sales without judicial oversight, and the granting of arrest powers to tax authorities.
“Perhaps most disturbing is the silence of the Presidency on a matter involving allegations of forgery, institutional sabotage, and abuse of process. Who made these alterations?
“All of this must be made public. Nigerians need to understand what was signed, what was passed, and what was formally recorded. We cannot continue to ask citizens to pay more taxes while trust in governance collapses.
“We need leadership that follows due process, embraces transparency and accountability, and respects the rule of law. No nation can thrive where laws are forged and silence replaces leadership.
“A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO”