SERAP Blows The Whistle: Petitions CCB Over Electoral And Tax Law Irregularities

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has petitioned the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), urging a full-scale investigation into alleged irregularities in the passage of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and Tax Reform Laws by members of the National Assembly and other public officials.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The petition, dated February 7, 2026, was signed by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, who demanded that the CCB respond within seven days or face potential legal action.

SERAP alleges that certain Senators secretly removed provisions on the electronic transmission of election results from the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, despite a majority vote in favor of their inclusion.

“According to our information, some members of the Senate allegedly removed the provisions during plenary, after most senators had voted for their inclusion and without any debate on the proposed removal,” the petition states. The group contends that this conduct violates constitutional due process and raises concerns over possible abuse of office and conflicts of interest.

The petition also highlights discrepancies between the harmonized tax reform bills passed by the National Assembly and the versions gazetted into law by the Federal Government. SERAP referenced a motion by Sokoto lawmaker Abdussamad Dasuki, who flagged material differences under a matter of privilege.

“The alterations in the gazetted copies did not receive legislative approval. These alleged unlawful changes call into question the legality and legitimacy of both the lawmaking process and the versions of the tax laws circulated by the Federal Ministry of Information,” the group said.

In response, the Senate denied removing the electronic transmission provision, clarifying that only the phrase “real-time” was deleted due to potential judicial challenges. Meanwhile, the National Assembly has launched an internal probe into the Tax Reform Law discrepancies and released a “certified” version of the Acts, which took effect on January 1, 2026.

SERAP insists that the actions of lawmakers and executive officers may have violated the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, citing abuse of power, conflict of interest, and lack of transparency.

“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,” the petition reads.

The group specifically called on the CCB to formally register and investigate the petition, determine whether any inducements, benefits, or promises influenced the lawmakers, assess potential abuse of legislative and executive powers, and refer confirmed violations to the Code of Conduct Tribunal.

“Public officers must not place themselves in situations where personal interests conflict with official duties,” SERAP stressed.

The petition was addressed to the CCB Chairman, Abdullahi Bello, and warned that SERAP would pursue legal action if no response is received within seven days.

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