SERAP Petitions CCB to Probe Senate Over Electoral, Tax Laws

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has petitioned the Code of Conduct Bureau to investigate members of the Senate and other public officers over alleged irregularities in the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and the Tax Reform Laws.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation is seeking a prompt, thorough, and effective probe into claims that some senators removed provisions on electronic transmission of election results from the Electoral Act Amendment Bill during plenary, despite a majority having voted for their inclusion and without any debate on the proposed removal.

“According to our information, certain members of the Senate allegedly removed the provisions on electronic transmission of election results from the Electoral Act Amendment Bill during plenary after the majority of the senators had voted for the inclusion of the provisions and without any debate on the proposed removal of the said provisions,” SERAP said.

The organisation also requested the CCB to investigate alterations in the Tax Reform Bills, which reportedly led to discrepancies between the harmonised versions passed by the National Assembly and the copies signed into law and gazetted by the federal government.

“Similarly, the National Assembly recently alleged that there are unlawful alterations and some material differences between the tax reform bills passed by the legislative body and the tax reform laws gazetted by the federal government.

“A Sokoto lawmaker, Abdussamad Dasuki, raised the issue under a matter of privilege, drawing the attention of the House to the alleged discrepancies between the harmonised versions of the tax reform bills passed by both chambers of the national assembly and the copies gazetted by the federal government.

“The lawmakers said the alterations contained in the gazetted copies did not receive legislative approval. These alleged unlawful alterations raise questions over the legality and legitimacy of both the law-making processes and the versions of the tax laws circulated by the Federal Ministry of Information,” the petition added.

THISDAY, however, reports that the Senate had denied removing the provisions on electronic transmission of election results, saying it only removed the term “real time” from the sentence, citing judicial concerns.

Similarly, the national assembly had initiated investigations into the alleged discrepancies in the tax bill and released a “certified” version of the Acts to address the contradictions. The law took effect on January 1, 2026.

SERAP said the petition is submitted under paragraphs 1 and 9 of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers contained in the Fifth Schedule, Part 1 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and sections 5 and 13 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.

It alleged the processes leading to the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and the signing of the Tax Reform Laws were marked by alterations to bill provisions without debate and due process of law, as well as alterations to the Tax Reform Bill without the approval of the National Assembly.

“The petition raises issues of conflict of interest, abuse of office, non-disclosure of interests, lack of due process, and erosion of the Code of Conduct for Public Officers in the exercise of legislative power.

“There are also allegations that certain amendments may have been removed or introduced to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and the Tax Reform Laws to serve private or political interests rather than the public interest,” the petition reads.

Citing the Constitution, SERAP noted that public officers must not place themselves in situations where personal interest conflict with official duties.