The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has dismissed claims that the Tax Reform Acts which came into force in January were altered or tampered with, assuring lawmakers and the public that the laws remain exactly as passed by the National Assembly.
Akpabio gave the clarification during plenary on Wednesday, following speculations that multiple versions of the tax laws were in circulation. He stressed that any document suggesting otherwise should be disregarded.
According to him, the Tax Reform package consists of four Acts, all of which have been duly passed by the National Assembly, signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, gazetted, and officially certified by the Clerk to the National Assembly.
“I understand that another version was circulating which did not comply with what was contained in our votes and proceedings. There is no adulteration whatsoever. At this stage, you can confidently discard anything that contradicts the officially passed laws,” Akpabio said.
To prevent further confusion, the Senate President directed the Clerk of the Senate to distribute certified copies of the gazetted Tax Reform Acts to all senators. He emphasised that each senator must personally receive a copy from the Clerk and that the documents should not be handed to unauthorised persons.
“Every senator is expected to go home with one copy today. For those not present, the documents will be delivered directly to them. These Acts must only be issued by the Clerk of the Senate and certified by the Clerk of the National Assembly,” he stated.
Akpabio added that the final versions of the laws reflect deliberations and resolutions reached by both chambers of the National Assembly, as well as outcomes from the Committee on Harmonisation, before receiving presidential assent.
Meanwhile, the Senate also postponed consideration of the report of its Committee on Electoral Matters to allow lawmakers adequate time to study the document.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, explained that the delay was partly due to the absence of the committee chairman, Senator Simon Lalong, at the time of deliberation. He noted that copies of the report had already been circulated among senators.
“We will allow senators to go home with the report for proper study. When we reconvene, we will hold a brief closed-door session to examine key provisions before debating and passing the bill,” Bamidele said.
Responding, Akpabio assured that the Senate would not rush the process, stressing the need for careful scrutiny to ensure fairness and national interest.
“We don’t need to rush this report. We will take our time, do what is necessary, and ensure justice is done for everyone,” the Senate President said.
Akpabio: No Alteration in Tax Reform Acts, Senators to Receive Official Gazetted Copies
