The Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has described the interim report by the minority caucus ad-hoc committee on alleged alterations to Nigeria’s tax reform laws as belated, insisting that the concerns raised had already been overtaken by events.
Agbese spoke with journalists in Abuja on Saturday shortly after the Clerk to the National Assembly released the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the recently enacted tax reform laws to the public.
The minority caucus committee, chaired by Afam Ogene, had earlier alleged discrepancies between the versions of the tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the gazetted copies made available to the public.
According to the committee, its review indicated that changes were made after passage, particularly to the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025.
The committee further claimed that at least three different versions of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act were in circulation, arguing that a directive to “align” the Acts with the Federal Government Printing Press suggested procedural lapses within the legislative process.
However, Agbese maintained that the leadership of the National Assembly had already taken decisive steps to address the matter before the minority caucus made its report public.
He said the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, in collaboration with the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, ensured the release of the authentic versions of the four tax reform Acts as duly passed by the National Assembly and assented to by President Bola Tinubu.
“The concerns raised regarding discrepancies in the tax laws have already been comprehensively addressed by the House leadership. With the release of the Certified True Copies of the Acts, there is now clarity as to what was passed by the National Assembly and signed into law,” Agbese said.
He disclosed that the Speaker also ordered an internal verification process to confirm that only the correct and duly passed versions of the laws were in circulation.
According to him, this action underscored the House’s commitment to transparency, due process and the protection of democratic institutions.
Agbese added that the coordinated response by the leadership of both chambers demonstrated a united resolve to safeguard the legislature’s constitutional mandate and prevent any erosion of its law-making authority.
Concerns over the integrity of the tax reform laws had emerged shortly after the Acts were gazetted, with some lawmakers and civil society groups questioning differences between the versions debated and passed on the floor of the National Assembly and those published by the government printer. These concerns prompted both the House leadership and minority caucus to set up ad-hoc committees to examine the documents.
While acknowledging the right of lawmakers to raise issues in the interest of accountability, Agbese insisted that the steps already taken by the House leadership had effectively resolved the controversy.
“The House acted swiftly and responsibly. The leadership did not wait for public pressure before intervening. The release of the Certified Acts has settled the matter and ensured that Nigerians are guided only by the correct and lawful versions of the tax reforms,” he said.