National Assembly Orders Re-Gazzet of Tax Laws Amid Alteration Allegations

The National Assembly has moved to quell a brewing constitutional crisis by directing its Clerk to immediately re-publish the nation’s newly passed tax laws and issue Certified True Copies of the versions originally passed by parliament. This decisive action follows serious allegations by a lawmaker that the Acts signed into law and published by the Federal Ministry of Information contain unauthorized, material alterations.

The controversy entered the public record two weeks ago when Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki (Sokoto) raised a formal alarm during a House plenary session. Dasuki asserted that the copies of the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025, and three other related finance bills in official circulation differ significantly from the texts passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives. He warned that these discrepancies pose “serious legal and constitutional risks” and are not supported by any constitutional framework, potentially threatening Nigeria’s democratic order.

In response to these grave claims, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, swiftly constituted a seven-member ad hoc investigative committee, chaired by Hon. Muktar Betara (APC, Borno).

The Assembly’s official response was outlined today in a detailed statement issued by House Spokesman, Akin Rotimi. The statement confirms that the leadership of the National Assembly, under Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker Abbas, has taken “decisive steps to address the matter in order to safeguard public interest.”

According to the release, an institutional review is now underway. A special committee, alongside other relevant National Assembly bodies and management, is working to “establish the sequence of events” and identify any factors—including potential “lapses, irregularities, or external interferences”—that may have led to the current situation.

“The leadership of the National Assembly… has directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to re-gazette the Acts and issue Certified True Copies of the versions duly passed by both Chambers,” the statement reads. It emphasizes that this is an “administrative step intended solely to authenticate and accurately reflect the legislative decisions” of parliament.

Rotimi stressed that the review is strictly procedural and “does not constitute, imply, or concede any defect in the exercise of legislative authority.” He reaffirmed the 10th House’s commitment to “constitutionalism, separation of powers, due process, and the supremacy of the rule of law.”

The statement concluded with an appeal for public patience, urging Nigerians to “allow the National Assembly’s institutional processes to proceed without speculation or conjecture” while vowing that any identified procedural gaps will be met with “appropriate corrective measures.”

The outcome of the investigation and the re-gazettement process is now awaited, as the nation watches a pivotal test of legislative integrity and record-keeping.