Kim
Despite its release of the authentic versions of the four tax reform Acts recently signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following public outcry over alleged alterations to the tax laws, the House is still determined that its Ad-Hoc Committee set up to investigate the alleged alterations should conclude its work.
The committee, chaired by Muktar Betara, is expected to determine how unauthorised versions of the Acts entered circulation and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.
The House released the documents amid concerns raised on the floor of the House over discrepancies between versions of the tax laws circulating in the public domain and those passed by the National Assembly.
The Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, in concurrence with the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Saturday, directed the immediate release of the Certified True Copies of the laws.
The directive also included the endorsement and presidential assent pages signed by President Tinubu, to enable public reference and verification.
The legislations released are the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025; and Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025.
The controversy erupted during plenary when Sokoto lawmaker, Abdussamad Dasuki, raised a point of privilege.
Dasuki had called the attention of the House to what he described as inconsistencies between some versions of the tax laws in circulation and the texts debated and passed by the National Assembly.
He warned that failure to address the issue could undermine public confidence in the legislative process and the integrity of the laws.
Following the lawmaker’s observation, the House resolved to investigate the matter, prompting the Speaker to order an internal verification of the Acts and the public release of the certified versions to clarify the situation and dispel doubts over their authenticity.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the House spokesman, Akin Rotimi, said the release of the Acts signed by President Tinubu “underscores the Speaker’s long-standing commitment to transparency, legislative integrity, and public confidence in the law-making process.”
The statement read in part, “The attention of the House was drawn to the existence of inconsistent versions of the tax laws in circulation after a vigilant Honourable member identified discrepancies, raised the alarm, and formally reported the matter to the House on a point of privilege.
“Acting promptly, the Speaker ordered an internal verification and the immediate public release of the certified Acts to eliminate doubt, restore clarity, and protect the sanctity of the legislative record.”
Rotimi noted that throughout the tax reform process — from stakeholder consultations to committee scrutiny, clause-by-clause consideration, and plenary debates — Speaker Abbas provided leadership to ensure the reforms were evidence-based, inclusive, and aligned with Nigeria’s fiscal realities.
He quoted Abbas as saying, “The National Assembly is an institution built on records, procedure, and institutional memory. Every bill, every amendment, and every Act follows a traceable constitutional and parliamentary pathway.
“Once a law is passed and assented to, its integrity is preserved through certification and custody by the legislature. There is no ambiguity about what constitutes the law.”
The Speaker assured Nigerians that the only authentic and authoritative versions of the four tax Acts are those certified and released by the National Assembly.
“Members of the public, institutions, professionals, and stakeholders are therefore advised to disregard and discountenance any other documents or versions in circulation that are not certified by the National Assembly,” the statement said.
It added that the Clerk to the National Assembly has aligned the Acts with the Federal Government Printing Press to ensure accuracy, conformity, and uniformity.
Hard copies of the certified laws have also been circulated to lawmakers and made available to the public for uniform reference.
“The House of Representatives, under the leadership of Rt Hon Tajudeen Abbas, reaffirms its unwavering commitment to constitutionalism, the rule of law, transparency, and accountable governance,” the statement added.
