House Releases Certified Copies of Tax Laws After Alteration Allegations

The House of Representatives has released certified copies of four recently enacted tax reform laws following allegations that the versions available to the public were altered.

In a statement issued Saturday night, Akin Rotimi, spokesperson of the House, said the release was directed to address public concerns and ensure transparency in the legislative process. The laws were recently signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The action followed claims by Abdussamad Dasuki, a member of the House, who alleged discrepancies between the tax reform bills passed by the National Assembly and the copies later gazetted. The allegation triggered public criticism and calls in some quarters for the suspension of the laws’ implementation.

The Acts released are the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025; and the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025.

Rotimi said Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, working with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, directed the immediate release of the Certified True Copies, including the endorsement and assent pages signed by the President. According to the statement, the decision followed reports of “unauthorised and misleading versions” of the laws in circulation.

He explained that the matter came to the House’s attention after a member formally raised concerns over inconsistencies in the documents, prompting an internal verification process. The Speaker subsequently ordered the public release of the certified Acts to clarify the situation and preserve the official legislative record.

Rotimi said Abbas assured Nigerians that the National Assembly operates as an institution of records, with established procedures and verification systems to protect the authenticity of laws passed by parliament.

The Speaker also urged the public to disregard any versions of the tax laws that are not certified by the National Assembly, stressing that such documents have no legal standing.

Rotimi added that the Clerk of the National Assembly has completed the process of aligning the certified Acts with the Federal Government Printing Press to ensure uniformity and accuracy. Hard copies have been distributed to lawmakers and made available to the public.

Quoting Abbas, Rotimi said the legislature maintains clear records of every bill and amendment, and that once a law is passed and assented to, its integrity is preserved through certification and official custody.

Abbas said the House would continue to protect the integrity of its work and reiterated that only the certified versions released by the National Assembly constitute the valid and authoritative tax laws.