Allegations that key provisions of recently passed tax laws were altered after approval by the National Assembly have sparked widespread outrage, with lawmakers and commentators warning that the development poses a grave threat to Nigeria’s constitutional order.
The controversy was formally raised on Wednesday in the House of Representatives by Abdulsammad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto), who accused unnamed actors of tampering with the tax bills passed by parliament before they were gazetted and released to the public.
Raising a point of privilege under Order Six, Rule Two of the House Rules, Dasuki told lawmakers that the versions of the tax laws currently in circulation do not reflect what was debated, voted on and approved by both chambers of the National Assembly.
He said that after the passage of the bills, he reviewed the gazetted copies alongside the Votes and Proceedings of the House of Representatives as well as the harmonised versions adopted by the House and the Senate, and discovered what he described as “clear discrepancies”.
“I was here, I gave my vote and it was counted, and I am seeing something completely different,” Dasuki told the House, adding that copies of the gazetted laws obtained from the Ministry of Information were inconsistent with the texts approved by lawmakers.
The lawmaker stressed that the issue was not a procedural motion but a serious constitutional matter, warning that allowing laws different from those duly passed by the National Assembly to stand would undermine legislative integrity and violate the Constitution.
He urged Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to direct that all relevant documents - including the harmonised bills, Votes and Proceedings of both chambers and the gazetted versions - be presented before the Committee of the Whole for scrutiny by all members.
“This is a breach of the Constitution and a breach of our laws, and it should not be taken lightly by this House,” Dasuki said.
Responding, Speaker Abbas said he had taken note of the point of privilege and assured lawmakers that the House leadership would act on the matter in the national interest.
Although the full extent of the alleged alterations is yet to be officially established, attention has focused on Section 64(1) of the tax legislation. Critics allege that the clause was expanded in the gazetted version to grant tax authorities powers of arrest and detention not contained in the version passed by the National Assembly.
While the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, 2025, as passed by the House, empowers tax authorities to investigate violations of tax laws, the gazetted Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025, reportedly goes further by adding powers to arrest suspects through law enforcement agencies.
The allegation has since ignited fierce debate on social media, with financial experts and civil society voices demanding accountability.
Financial analyst Kalu Aja called for the entire tax reform package to be suspended and re-enacted afresh, warning that the integrity of the legislative process had been compromised. “The highest effort must be made to determine when and who altered these Acts of Parliament. I am officially afraid,” he said.
Other commentators described the alleged alteration as sabotage and a “treasonable offence”, warning that the ability to quietly amend laws after parliamentary approval could erode public trust and concentrate excessive powers in the hands of authorities.
As pressure mounts, attention is now on the National Assembly leadership to investigate the claims, identify those responsible if wrongdoing is confirmed, and reassure Nigerians that the sanctity of the lawmaking process has not been compromised.
Leave a Reply