iDeemlawfulThe Presidency has rejected allegations that it clandestinely modified provisions of the recently enacted tax reform laws, maintaining that no amendments were made outside the recognised legal and legislative framework.
It will be recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed four tax reform bills into law in June, following months of rigorous review and heated debates among lawmakers and the Nigerian public.
The four legislations are the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.
The Tinubu administration has fixed January 2026 as the commencement date for the implementation of the new tax laws.
Dasuki raises alarm over alleged alterations
However, a few days ago, a member of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki, raised concerns over alleged alterations, claiming that certain sections of the law as gazetted differed from what was passed by the National Assembly.
A gazette is an official government publication used to formally publish laws and legal notices after approval by the legislature and assent by the president.
It serves as an authoritative public record relied upon by government institutions, the judiciary and the general public as evidence of the law in force.
Dasuki alleged that the gazetted version of the law available to the public does not reflect what lawmakers approved.
“What was passed on the floor is not what is gazetted. Mr speaker, honourable colleagues, I was here, I gave my vote, and it was counted, and I am seeing something completely different,” he said.
He added that he personally obtained copies of the gazetted laws from the Ministry of Information and discovered discrepancies between them and the harmonised versions approved by the House.
“I am calling on Mr speaker to graciously look at what was harmonised, what is in the gazetted copy, and what was passed on this floor,” he said.
The lawmaker warned that the differences amounted to a constitutional violation and urged the House to treat the matter as urgent.
“This is a breach of the constitution and a breach of our laws, and it should not be taken lightly by this honourable house,” he said.
Obi, Atiku, others demand suspension
Following the claims, opposition figures including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and others called on the Federal Government to halt the implementation of the laws.
They argued that an independent investigation was necessary to restore public confidence, stressing that transparency and accountability are vital in matters relating to national fiscal policy.
In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, Atiku urged the suspension of the tax laws pending a comprehensive probe into the allegations.
Speaking through his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku said pausing implementation would allow proper scrutiny by lawmakers and the public while protecting the credibility of the legislative process.
“Something is wrong with this country. It is a very serious issue. Something has been appended to the law, and some people have gone ahead to alter it. This is falsification, and it is criminal. The big question is: what else has been doctored? What else has been falsified?
“This is dangerous, and it affirms the state capture the opposition warned about in our joint statement,” the former vice president said.
He further claimed that provisions not initially criminalised were later inserted to target political opponents.
Obi described the situation as a dangerous shift from poor governance to outright abuse of the law, warning that the alleged alterations threatened constitutional order.
He cautioned that public trust in governance was rapidly declining and argued that citizens could not be compelled to bear increased tax burdens amid a lack of transparency.
In a statement posted on his X handle, the former Anambra State governor said the alleged alteration was not merely an administrative lapse but “a serious matter that strikes at the core of constitutional governance and reveals the extent of our institutional decay.”
“We have transitioned from a Nigeria where budgets are padded to one where laws are forged, changes that impact taxpayers’ rights and, most importantly, access to justice. Even more alarming is the introduction of new enforcement and coercive powers that the House of Representatives never approved.
“These include an outrageous requirement for a mandatory 20 per cent deposit before appeals can be heard in court, asset sales without judicial oversight, and the granting of arrest powers to tax authorities.
“Who made these alterations? All of this must be made public. Nigerians need to understand what was signed, what was passed, and what was formally recorded. We cannot continue to ask citizens to pay more taxes while trust in governance collapses,” Obi said.
The African Democratic Congress also criticised the tax reform laws as “draconian,” calling for their immediate suspension to enable the legislature determine the extent of any alleged forgery and take corrective steps.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party warned that altering legislation after passage by the National Assembly suggested an attempt by Tinubu to centralise power.
The party further demanded a public inquiry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged criminal alterations and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
No evidence of alteration – Presidency
In response, the Presidency dismissed the allegations, insisting there was no proof that the laws had been altered.
Speaking to PUNCH, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Temitope Ajayi, said opposition pressure would not derail the planned January implementation.
He argued that claims of document alteration had not been validated by any constituted authority, describing the criticisms as “opposition noise” designed to stir controversy around government policy.
According to Ajayi, the tax laws were enacted through due process and would come fully into effect on January 1, 2026, with government agencies already preparing for implementation.
“Opposition elements can say whatever they want, even when it is very obvious to every rational person that all they seek to do every time is to pollute the waters and create a toxic environment around policy issues,” Ajayi said.
He added that the implementation committee had been at work for the past six months and would not be distracted by attempts to undermine the reforms.
Ajayi further stated that the claims remained unsubstantiated, noting that actions by an opposition lawmaker could not invalidate legislation duly passed and signed into law.
He disclosed that the House of Representatives had already constituted a committee, chaired by the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, James Faleke, to examine the allegations.
According to him, the proper approach was to allow the committee to complete its investigation and submit its report.
The Presidency reiterated that it would proceed with implementing the tax laws according to schedule, regardless of opposition objections.
Similarly, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, ruled out suspending the laws.
He said, “The House of Representatives, where this allegation emanated from, has set up a committee to investigate. We would like to wait for the outcome of the investigation before we make any comment. The House is already probing it; we don’t want to say anything that will subvert what they are investigating, whether it is true or not. We want to allow the House to do its work.
“The opposition is talking nonsense; the law has already been passed. The timeline for the implementation is January 1. In fact, the law is already being implemented, and by January 1, it will come fully into effect, so there is no point in demanding the suspension of the implementation. Some elements of the law are already being implemented.”