The Presidency has denied allegations that key provisions of recently passed tax reform laws were altered after approval by the National Assembly, insisting that any discrepancies identified fall strictly within the legislature’s purview.
Speaking to journalists, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed, dismissed claims of executive interference, stating that the executive followed due process by submitting the bills, after which they were debated, passed, returned, and signed into law.
His comments followed allegations by a lawmaker, Abdulsammad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto), that the gazetted versions of the tax laws differ from what lawmakers debated and approved. The House of Representatives subsequently constituted a seven-member ad hoc committee to investigate the claims and report back.
Amid growing public outrage, the House of Representatives is expected to meet today to debate the matter, while the Senate will also convene to consider constitutional amendments and other issues.
Responding to questions on whether the laws signed by President Bola Tinubu differed from what the National Assembly passed, Mohammed said the executive had not seen multiple versions of the bills.
“To be honest, I have not seen the two versions. What I know is that the executive presented a document, it was processed by the National Assembly, passed, returned, and signed. If the National Assembly has identified discrepancies and has set up a committee, we should allow that process to run,” he said.
The minister added that, from the Federal Government’s standpoint, there is only one version of the tax laws, noting that further clarification would come after lawmakers conclude their investigation.
Oyedele Urges Lawmakers to Verify Claims
Similarly, the Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, called on the National Assembly to thoroughly investigate the alleged discrepancies.
Oyedele spoke amid mounting calls by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and several civil society organisations for the suspension of the laws’ implementation.
He described circulating media reports as misleading, arguing that claims of discrepancies could not be confirmed without access to the officially certified versions of the bills transmitted to the President.
“Before anyone can say there is a difference between what was gazetted and what was passed, we don’t even have what was passed. The official harmonised bills certified by the clerk and sent to the President are not publicly available. Only the lawmakers can say authoritatively what they transmitted,” Oyedele said.
He added that the reports in circulation did not originate from the committee set up by the House, urging the public to allow the investigative process to run its course.
President Tinubu recently signed four major tax reform bills into law, describing them as the most comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s tax system in decades. The laws — the Nigeria Tax Act, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act — are scheduled to take effect from January 1, 2026.
Committee Alleges Post-Passage Alterations
Meanwhile, reports circulating in the public space yesterday claimed that the House committee had uncovered evidence suggesting that significant provisions of the 2025 tax laws were altered after passage by both chambers of the National Assembly.
According to the alleged findings, several clauses were inserted, deleted, or modified outside the constitutionally recognised law-making process, raising serious constitutional and institutional concerns ahead of today’s plenary session.
If upheld, the report could render parts of the affected laws legally void and expose the Federal Government to potential litigation risks.
Lawmakers are expected to examine claims that new coercive and fiscal powers — including arrest powers, garnishee proceedings without court orders, mandatory security deposits for appeals, compulsory computation in U.S. dollars, and restrictions on appeal rights — appeared in the final gazetted Acts without legislative approval.
The committee also reportedly found that oversight and accountability provisions approved by parliament were removed in the versions now in force.
Describing the changes as far beyond clerical or editorial corrections, the panel cited Sections 4 and 58 of the 1999 Constitution, which vest exclusive law-making powers in the National Assembly.
“What the National Assembly did not pass cannot become law,” the committee reportedly stated, describing any post-passage alteration as unconstitutional, ultra vires, and legally void to the extent of the changes.
Sources in the House said today’s sitting would test the resolve of the 10th Assembly to defend legislative supremacy. Members are expected to consider recommendations including a legislative review of the disputed provisions, possible re-enactment of affected laws, and the summoning of officials involved in the enrolment and certification process under Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution.
The discrepancies were said to involve provisions of the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, Nigeria Revenue Service Act, and Joint Revenue Board Act, based on comparisons between Votes and Proceedings of May 28, 2025, clerk-certified “as-passed” bills, and the final gazetted Acts.
Beyond legal questions, lawmakers are also expected to debate the broader implications for governance, investor confidence, and fiscal stability. The committee reportedly warned that allowing the alleged alterations to stand could erode parliamentary integrity and set a dangerous precedent for democratic governance.
Rights Group, Parties Demand Investigation
Reacting, the Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED) called for an urgent and independent investigation into the allegations, warning that any post-passage tampering would constitute a serious constitutional breach.
In a statement by its Executive Director, Dr. Ibrahim Zikirullahi, the organisation said the alleged alterations suggest an attempt to rewrite legislation outside parliamentary authority, undermining separation of powers.
“This is not a clerical error or a misunderstanding. It raises serious concerns about the integrity of our democratic process,” Zikirullahi said.
He alleged that the altered laws contain provisions never debated or approved by lawmakers, including powers to seize funds without court orders, a requirement for taxpayers to pay 20 per cent of disputed assessments before filing appeals, compulsory dollar-based tax computation, and unauthorised changes to petroleum and VAT provisions.
CHRICED demanded a time-bound and independent probe, suspension of the affected laws, prosecution of culpable officials, public disclosure of findings, and safeguards against future post-passage alterations.
Similarly, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) expressed concern over claims that the Presidency assented to a materially altered tax law.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the party’s National Chairman, Engr. Yabagi Sani, said any such action, if proven, would amount to a grave constitutional violation. He stressed that legislative authority rests solely with parliament and must be respected.
Sani also raised concerns about national security, lamenting that despite defence spending exceeding N4 trillion annually, insecurity persists across the country.
“Between 2023 and mid-2025, independent security trackers estimate over 15,000 fatalities linked to violence. Thousands of abductions occur annually, with ransom payments running into trillions of naira, while more than 3.5 million Nigerians remain internally displaced,” he said.
As the House convenes today, attention will focus on whether lawmakers will move decisively to adopt the committee’s report, enforce accountability, and restore confidence in Nigeria’s legislative process, or allow one of the most serious allegations of post-passage law alteration in recent history to pass without firm action.
Presidency Denies Tampering With Tax Laws as Reps, Rights Groups Demand Probe
