29, December 2025
The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives is urging the Federal Government to suspend the implementation of new tax laws due to allegations of alterations.
These alterations reportedly occurred between the versions passed by the National Assembly and those gazetted and signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.
The tax laws in question include the Nigeria Tax Act, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, and Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, set to take effect on January 1, 2026
The controversy began when Rep. Abdussamad Dasuki raised concerns about discrepancies between the tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the versions gazetted.
Dasuki argued that his legislative rights were breached because the content of the gazetted tax laws did not reflect what lawmakers debated and approved.
In response, the National Assembly has initiated an investigation and directed the Clerk to re-gazette the tax laws and issue Certified True Copies of the versions passed by both chambers .
Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, insists that the implementation date is sacrosanct, citing the reforms’ aim to provide relief to Nigerians. However, he welcomed the National Assembly’s position on the allegations, expressing readiness to work with lawmakers to address concerns
The Minority Caucus emphasized that Nigerians are entitled to copies of the laws they are expected to obey and assured that they would ensure the alleged illegalities are addressed.
Other stakeholders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), have also called for the suspension of the tax laws pending investigation
It may be of interest to ask:
– What specific alterations were made to the tax laws, according to allegations?
– How might the suspension of the tax laws impact the Nigerian economy?
– What steps can the government take to restore public trust in the legislative process?
