“What Is Circulating Is Fake,” Presidency Clarifies Alleged Discrepancies in Tax Reform Laws

The Presidency has addressed the controversy surrounding the newly signed tax reform laws scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026, dismissing claims that there are discrepancies between the versions passed by the National Assembly and those made available to the public.

The intervention comes amid calls by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and several civil society organisations for the suspension of the laws’ implementation. Their concerns followed allegations by a member of the House of Representatives, Abdulsamad Dasuki, who claimed that the gazetted tax laws differed from what lawmakers debated and approved.

Dasuki argued that the alleged inconsistencies amounted to a breach of legislative procedure, insisting that lawmakers’ rights had been undermined if the final documents did not reflect the resolutions of the National Assembly.

However, speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, rejected the claims, describing the documents circulating in the media as fake and misleading.

Oyedele said there was currently no officially gazetted version of the laws available for public comparison with the bills passed by lawmakers. He explained that only the harmonised bills certified by the Clerk of the National Assembly and transmitted to the President for assent could serve as the authentic reference point.

According to him, only the National Assembly can authoritatively confirm what was passed, as neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate has publicly released the certified harmonised versions. He added that even members of the executive only have access to the copies presented to the President for signing.

Addressing specific concerns over Section 41(8), which allegedly required taxpayers to make a 20 per cent deposit, Oyedele said he contacted the relevant House committee and was informed that it had not yet met to deliberate on the matter. He clarified that the provision in question appeared in a draft document but was not included in the final gazette.

Oyedele stated that the draft had been circulated prematurely by individuals who prepared reports before the committee concluded its work, stressing that the material did not originate from the House committee set up to investigate the issue. He urged the public to allow the legislature to complete its inquiry.

President Bola Tinubu recently signed four major tax reform bills into law, marking what the Federal Government has described as the most comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s tax system in decades. The laws faced strong opposition, particularly from some lawmakers from the northern part of the country, before eventually being passed.

The reforms include the Nigeria Tax Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act. All are designed to operate under a single authority, the Nigeria Revenue Service.

According to the government, the new tax regime is aimed at simplifying compliance, broadening the tax base, eliminating multiple and overlapping taxes, and modernising revenue collection across federal, state, and local governments.