iDeemlawfulThe House of Representatives has made public the four tax reform Acts recently signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, amid widespread debate over alleged changes to Nigeria’s tax laws.
The disclosure followed concerns expressed during plenary about perceived differences between versions of the tax laws circulating publicly and those approved by the National Assembly.
On Saturday, the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, acting in agreement with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, ordered the immediate release of the Certified True Copies of the Acts.
The directive also covered the endorsement and presidential assent pages bearing President Tinubu’s signature, to allow public scrutiny and verification.
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The released legislations are the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025; and Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025.
The issue surfaced during plenary when a lawmaker from Sokoto State, Abdussamad Dasuki, raised a point of privilege.
Dasuki drew the House’s attention to what he described as inconsistencies between certain circulating versions of the tax laws and the texts debated and passed by lawmakers.
He cautioned that ignoring the matter could erode public trust in the legislative process and cast doubt on the credibility of the laws.
Following his intervention, the House resolved to probe the issue, prompting the Speaker to mandate an internal review of the Acts and the public release of certified copies to clear doubts about their authenticity.
In a statement released on Saturday, the House spokesperson, Akin Rotimi, said the publication of the Acts signed by President Tinubu “underscores the Speaker’s long-standing commitment to transparency, legislative integrity, and public confidence in the law-making process.”
The statement partly read, “The attention of the House was drawn to the existence of inconsistent versions of the tax laws in circulation after a vigilant Honourable member identified discrepancies, raised the alarm, and formally reported the matter to the House on a point of privilege.
“Acting promptly, the Speaker ordered an internal verification and the immediate public release of the certified Acts to eliminate doubt, restore clarity, and protect the sanctity of the legislative record.”
Rotimi added that throughout the tax reform journey — from stakeholder engagement to committee reviews, clause-by-clause consideration, and plenary deliberations — Speaker Abbas provided leadership to ensure the reforms were evidence-driven, inclusive, and reflective of Nigeria’s fiscal environment.
He quoted Abbas as saying, “The National Assembly is an institution built on records, procedure, and institutional memory. Every bill, every amendment, and every Act follows a traceable constitutional and parliamentary pathway.
“Once a law is passed and assented to, its integrity is preserved through certification and custody by the legislature. There is no ambiguity about what constitutes the law.”
The Speaker assured Nigerians that the only valid and authoritative versions of the four tax Acts are those certified and released by the National Assembly.
“Members of the public, institutions, professionals, and stakeholders are therefore advised to disregard and discountenance any other documents or versions in circulation that are not certified by the National Assembly,” the statement said.
It further disclosed that the Clerk to the National Assembly has coordinated with the Federal Government Printing Press to guarantee accuracy, conformity, and uniformity of the Acts.
Printed copies of the certified laws have also been distributed to lawmakers and made accessible to the public for consistent reference.
Meanwhile, the House said the Ad-Hoc Committee established to investigate the alleged alterations would continue its assignment.
The committee, led by Muktar Betara, is expected to trace how unauthorised versions of the Acts found their way into circulation and propose safeguards against future occurrences.
“The House of Representatives, under the leadership of Rt Hon Tajudeen Abbas, reaffirms its unwavering commitment to constitutionalism, the rule of law, transparency, and accountable governance,” the statement concluded.
You can download the released tax laws below: