The Digest:
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has declared January 14 a National Day of Action, mobilising students nationwide to protest the implementation of the new tax laws that took effect on January 1, 2026. The move comes amid unresolved controversies over alleged discrepancies in the gazetted versions of the legislation.
Key Points:
- NANS President Olushola Oladoja condemned the implementation as a “dangerous precedent” and an insult to democratic values.
- The association plans a mass protest at the Presidential Villa gate in Abuja, demanding an immediate suspension of the law.
- Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) warned that the laws cannot legitimately take effect until controversies are resolved, threatening legal action.
- A civic group, ‘House to the Rescue’, offered a N3 million reward for any lawmaker who can produce a verifiable, authentic copy of the tax law.
- An FCT High Court declined to halt the implementation, stating it lacked the power to stop a law already signed and gazetted without concrete evidence of wrongdoing.
- Stakeholders, including the NBA, NLC, and House minority caucus, had earlier called for the suspension of the implementation.
- President Tinubu had affirmed that “no substantial issue” warranted disrupting the reform process.
Sources: Daily Trust, Statements from NANS, Femi Falana (SAN)
