Nigeria’s already contentious tax reform programme has taken a dramatic turn after a federal lawmaker alleged that the versions of tax laws published and circulated to Nigerians differ from those approved by the National Assembly.
The allegation comes amid public criticisms of the new tax regime, scheduled to start January 1, 2026, which many Nigerians say asks more citizens to pay taxes without addressing long-standing failures in governance, public service delivery, and corruption.
On Wednesday, a member of the House of Representatives, Abdulsammad Dasuki (PDP–Sokoto), told lawmakers that the gazetted copies of the tax laws did not reflect what the legislature debated, voted on, and passed.
“I was here, I gave my vote and it was counted, and I am seeing something completely different,” Dasuki said.
He told the House that after the tax bills were passed, he spent three days reviewing the gazetted laws alongside the Votes and Proceedings of the House and the harmonised versions adopted by the Senate. What he found, he said, were material discrepancies.
According to Dasuki, copies of the laws obtained from the Ministry of Information differed from the versions approved by lawmakers in both the House and Senate.
The lawmaker said his intervention was not a procedural motion but a constitutional alarm.
“My concern is not about moving a motion,” he said. “This is about a serious breach of legislative process and the Constitution.”
He urged Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to mandate a full comparison of all relevant documents – including the harmonised bills, Votes and Proceedings of both chambers, and the gazetted laws now in circulation – before the Committee of the Whole.
“Mr Speaker, the whole members should see what is in the gazetted copy and compare it with what they passed on the floor so that the necessary amendments can be made. This is a breach of the Constitution and our laws,” Dasuki said.
Speaker Abbas, who presided over the session, said he had taken note of the complaint and assured lawmakers that the House would take action.
The presidency has yet to comment on the allegation.
“Impeacheable Offence”
The allegation has quickly spilled beyond the National Assembly. Prominent rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong warned that if the claim is confirmed, it could amount to an impeachable offence.
“This is an impeachable offense,” Effiong wrote on X Tuesday.
President Bola Tinubu signed four major tax reform bills into law on 26 June 2025: the Nigeria Tax Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, the Nigeria Revenue Service Act, and the Joint Revenue Board Act.
The laws represent the most sweeping overhaul of Nigeria’s tax system in decades, aimed at boosting revenue, widening the tax net, and improving administration across federal, state, and local governments.
While the Value Added Tax rate remains at 7.5 per cent – down from an earlier proposal to raise it to 12.5 per cent – the scope of VAT has been expanded. Essential goods and services including food, education, healthcare, public transport, residential rent, and exports are zero-rated.
The reforms also increases the rate of capital gain tax, and introduces measures to allow the government tax unexplained deposits in banks. It is the most aggressive tax mandate Nigeria has put in use. Only people earning N800,000 and below a year are excluded from paying tax.
Why this matters
The controversy strikes at a moment of deep public distrust. Many Nigerians argue that the government is asking citizens to pay more taxes in a country where people largely provide their own security, electricity, water, healthcare, and even jobs.
Allegations that the executive branch may have altered laws after legislative approval risk further eroding confidence in the reform process.
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