Furore Over Alleged Post-Passage Alterations To Tax Laws

… Opposition Group Calls For Suspension

There was uproar on Wednesday as a group of House of Representatives members alleged that some key provisions of the tax reform laws signed by President Bola Tinubu were altered after they were passed by the National Assembly.

If the claims of the lawmakers were true, the tax laws could be rendered null and void, as they lacked the statutory legislative approval.

The lawmakers said they observed discrepancies between the harmonised versions of the bills approved by both chambers and the copies subsequently Gazetted and circulated by the Federal Government.

They described the alterations as unconstitutional, saying the laws, as assented to by the President, cannot be implemented.

Rep Abdussamad Dasuki from Sokoto State who raised the alarm during plenary, said his rights as a lawmaker was breached by the alleged alterations.

According to Dasuki, a review of the Gazetted copies alongside the votes and proceedings of both the two legislative chambers, revealed material differences in key clauses.

Dasuki said, “What was passed on this floor is not what is Gazetted. I was here, I voted, and my vote was counted. But what Nigerians are seeing and what is being sold to them is completely different from what we passed.”

A report jointly prepared by the group of lawmakers, and made available to journalists, alleged that the changes could not be dismissed as clerical or editorial corrections.

According to the report, some substantive provisions were inserted, deleted or modified after passage by both chambers of the National Assembly.

The report stated that several oversight, accountability and reporting mechanisms approved by the legislature were removed in the final versions of the laws.

It stated further that new “coercive and fiscal powers,” such as powers of arrest, garnishment without court orders, compulsory dollar-based computation and appeal security deposits, were introduced without legislative approval.

The legislators argued that Sections 4 and 58 of the 1999 Constitution vest law-making powers exclusively in the National Assembly.

They insisted that the executive has no authority to alter bills after passage.

“Any post-passage alteration is ultra vires, unconstitutional and void to the extent of the alteration,” the report said.

It warned that the affected provisions could be struck down by the courts, which could create legal and fiscal uncertainty.

On its findings, the report said a select committee relied on forensic comparisons of votes and proceedings, Clerk-certified bills and final Acts, as well as independent legal opinions and section-by-section analyses of the tax laws.

The laws are the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, the Nigeria Revenue Service Act and amendments to the Joint Revenue Board framework.

The lawmakers warned that the alleged alterations undermine legislative supremacy, weaken oversight and accountability mechanisms, and expose the country to litigation risks and loss of investor confidence.

Among their recommendations were an immediate legislative review of the affected provisions, rectification or re-enactment through proper parliamentary procedures, and the summoning of officials allegedly responsible for the changes under Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution.

Rep Dasuki urged the House leadership to bring all relevant documents before the Committee of the Whole to enable members review the versions originally passed by the National Assembly.

“This is a breach of the Constitution and our laws, and it should not be taken lightly by this House,” he said.

In response, the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, assured members that the leadership would examine the allegations and take appropriate steps in the national interest.

The disputed laws are part of a sweeping tax reform package signed by President Tinubu to boost revenue, widen the tax base and reduce reliance on borrowing.

Meanwhile, a political opposition group, under the aegis of the National Opposition Movement, has called on President Tinubu to suspend the tax laws.

The group, which membership cuts across opposition parties,
labour, civil society and professional associations, made the call on Wednesday in Abuja.

Addressing a media conference, the spokesman of the Movement, Mr Chille Igbawua, urged the Tinubu administration not to turn Nigeria into a “tax farm.”

The Movement observed that there were no explicit social protection guarantees tied to the administration’s new tax reforms.

It advocated for a shift to taxing luxury, excess profits, monopolies, and corruption and poverty, which the group said has reduced majority of Nigerians to beggars.

Members also called for strong legal safeguards to protect taxpayer rights, noting that
Nigeria does not suffer from low taxation.

“Nigeria suffers from waste, corruption, mismanagement, and policy arrogance,” they maintained, adding, “You do not fix government failure by billing the victims.”

The Movement vowed to stand with Nigerian workers, traders, professionals, and small businesses “to resist any policy that punishes the poor to excuse leadership failure.”

Continuing, the group said, “If this tax plan is forced through without suspension and consultation, the government will be fully responsible for the social and economic consequences.

“This is not a threat. It is a warning grounded in reality. Nigeria is hurting. And the suffering Nigerians have limits.

“Let us warn President Tinubu and his enforcers; the crisis in the West Africa is a crisis of unaccountable governance, of authoritarian rule without accountability, and state capture guided by greed and arrogance.

“Nigeria should be saved the misfortune of stoking the fire of conflict that will destroy the prospect of democracy and development in Nigeria.

“The government should end its provocation of Nigerians and suppression of the voices of opposition politicians, labour leaders and civil society leaders.

“The government should release its stranglehold on Nigeria. President Tinubu should let Nigerians breathe. Enough of poverty, enough of insecurity, enough of the burden of his taskmaster, enough of assault against opposition leaders.

“As we close the year, we declare a commitment to close President Tinubu’s gross incompetence and assault on the integrity and stability of the Nigerian state.”

THE WHISTLER had reported that President Tinubu signed four tax reform bills into law in June 2025.

The laws collectively overhauled Nigeria’s tax system with the aim to improve efficiency and reduce the burden on individuals and small businesses.

The four new tax laws include The Nigeria Tax Act, which simplifies compliance by consolidating multiple tax statutes into one law.

The Nigeria Tax Administration Act, which establishes a uniform framework for tax administration across all levels of government.

The Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, which creates a new body, the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), responsible for collecting all federal revenues.

And The Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, which facilitates cooperation between revenue authorities and includes mechanisms for dispute resolution. 

Other members of the Movement include a former All Progressives Congress (APC) Vice Chairman (North West), Dr. Salihu Lukman; a former Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung; and former Rep member, CID Maduabum.

Others include activist, Aisha Yesufu; Bishop Ike Okoronkwo; former Labour Party chieftain, Kenneth Okwonkwo among others.