The National Assembly has directed the Clerk of the legislature to re-gazette Nigeria’s tax laws and issue Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the versions passed by both chambers, following allegations that the laws were altered after legislative approval.
The decision was disclosed on Friday in Abuja in a statement issued by the House of Representatives spokesman, Akin Rotimi. The move comes amid growing controversy over discrepancies between tax reform Acts passed by lawmakers and versions reportedly in circulation within the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
The controversy was triggered two weeks ago when a Sokoto State lawmaker, Abdussamad Dasuki, raised the issue during plenary. Dasuki warned that the tax reform laws being circulated differed materially from those approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives, describing the situation as a serious legal and constitutional concern.
According to him, any post-passage alteration of laws without constitutional backing could undermine democratic governance and expose the country to avoidable legal disputes.
In response, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, constituted a seven-member ad hoc committee to investigate the allegations. The committee is chaired by Muktar Betara (APC, Borno) and has been mandated to establish the facts and report back to the House for further legislative action.
Rotimi said the leadership of the National Assembly had moved swiftly to safeguard public interest and the credibility of the legislative process. He explained that public commentary had focused on the passage, presidential assent, and gazetting of four key tax-related Acts: the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025; and the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025.
According to the statement, concerns were raised about the harmonisation process between the two chambers, the documentation transmitted for presidential assent, and the versions of the laws eventually published in the Official Gazette.
Rotimi stressed that the House was addressing the matter strictly within its constitutional and statutory mandate. He noted that the ad hoc committee, working alongside relevant standing committees and the management of the National Assembly, is conducting an institutional review to reconstruct the sequence of events and identify any lapses, irregularities or possible external interference.
The review, he said, is being carried out in line with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Acts Authentication Act, the Standing Orders of both chambers and established parliamentary practice.
As part of the administrative steps approved by the leadership, the National Assembly – under the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio and House of Representative Speaker Abbas – has directed the Clerk to re-gazette the affected Acts and issue Certified True Copies of the versions duly passed by both the Senate and the House.
“This administrative step is intended solely to authenticate and accurately reflect the legislative decisions of the National Assembly,” the statement said, adding that the exercise does not concede any defect in the authority of either chamber.
Rotimi emphasised that the review is confined strictly to institutional processes and does not prejudice the powers of other arms of government or ongoing legal obligations arising from the laws.
The statement reaffirmed the commitment of the 10th House of Representatives to constitutionalism, due process, separation of powers and the supremacy of the rule of law, assuring that any procedural gaps identified would be corrected in accordance with established parliamentary conventions.
The House also urged Nigerians to refrain from speculation while the review is ongoing, pledging transparency and accountability in resolving the matter.
