By Charles Maduka
The House of Representatives has released the full copies of four tax reform laws recently signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, following allegations that the laws were altered after being passed by the National Assembly. The move is aimed at promoting transparency and restoring public confidence in the legislative process.
In a statement issued on Saturday night, Akin Rotimi, spokesperson of the House, said the decision followed claims by Abdussamad Dasuki, a member of the House, who alleged that there were differences between the versions of the tax laws passed by parliament and the copies later gazetted and made available to the public. The allegation triggered widespread public concern, with some Nigerians calling for the suspension of the implementation of the laws.
Rotimi explained that the four laws released are 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. He said Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, working with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, ordered the immediate release of the certified true copies, including the endorsement and assent pages signed by the President.
According to the House, the decision followed the discovery that different versions of the tax laws were in circulation. A member of the House reportedly identified the discrepancies and raised the matter formally on a point of privilege. In response, the Speaker directed an internal verification and approved the public release of the certified copies to remove doubts, ensure clarity, and protect the integrity of the legislative record.
The House advised Nigerians to disregard any tax law documents not certified by the National Assembly, stressing that such versions do not form part of the official legislative record. Rotimi added that the Clerk of the National Assembly has completed the process of aligning the certified laws with the Federal Government Printing Press to ensure accuracy and uniformity.
Speaker Abbas was quoted as saying that the National Assembly is an institution built on records, procedures, and institutional memory, noting that every bill and amendment follows a clear constitutional process. He said the House would remain vigilant in defending the integrity of its work and emphasized that the only valid versions of the tax laws are those certified and officially released by the National Assembly.
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