The Presidency has rejected allegations that it covertly modified certain elements of the recently passed tax reform laws, affirming that no adjustments occurred beyond the recognized legal and legislative procedures.
This follows calls from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and numerous civil society groups to halt the enforcement of the laws.
The tax reform legislation, which encountered strong resistance from federal legislators in the northern regions prior to its enactment, is set to be implemented on January 1, 2026.
President Bola Tinubu enacted the four tax reform bills into law, signifying what the government calls the most substantial revision of the nation’s tax system in years.
The regulations encompass the Nigeria Tax Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, functioning under a unified authority, the Nigeria Revenue Service.
The Federal Government states that the reforms aim to streamline tax compliance, broaden the tax base, remove redundant taxes, and update revenue collection processes among federal, state, and local governments.
The laws faced criticism after House of Representatives member Abdussamad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto) claimed there were inconsistencies between the tax laws approved by the National Assembly and those published and made available to the public
Dasuki, who raised the claims during the session on Wednesday, maintained that the contents of the published tax laws did not represent what members discussed, voted for, and approved.
He cautioned that if left unresolved, the supposed modifications might make the new tax laws legally weak, since they did not have legislative consent.
Dasuki encouraged the speaker to make certain that all pertinent documents, such as the harmonized versions, votes, and proceedings from both chambers, were presented to the Committee of the Whole for examination by all members.
After the accusation, the House on Thursday formed an ad hoc committee to investigate the inconsistencies.
The Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, emphasized the gravity of the accusations by declaring a seven-member ad hoc committee to examine the allegations and provide a report to the House for potential legislative measures
The published tax laws reportedly included multiple changes, causing them to differ from the versions approved by both houses of the National Assembly.
A credible source in the National Assembly, who chose to remain anonymous, revealed that several important provisions related to oversight and accountability, originally sanctioned by lawmakers, were eliminated from the final Acts.
The document indicated that new coercive provisions, such as arrest authority, garnishee orders without judicial consent, and required USD computation, which were absent from the versions approved by parliament, were incorporated in the published laws.
In response, the Presidency refuted the claims, asserting that there was no proof that the laws had been modified.
In an interview, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Temitope Ajayi, stated that no level of opposition resistance would hinder the enforcement of the laws in January.
He contended that claims regarding the alteration of the tax documents had not been proven by any legitimate authority, labeling the criticisms as “opposition noise” intended to spark controversy surrounding government policy
“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 emphasized that the implementation committee had been active for the last six months and would not be swayed by what he referred to as efforts to weaken the policy.
Ajayi also stated that allegations of document tampering were unsubstantiated, emphasizing that the conduct of an opposition House member could not nullify legally enacted and signed laws.
He mentioned that the House of Representatives had previously formed a committee to investigate the claims, headed by the Chair of the House Committee on Finance, James Faleke.
He believes the right step is to let the committee fulfill its task and share its results.
The Presidency asserted that the government would continue to implement the tax laws according to the set timeline, despite criticisms from the opposition.
Also, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, ruled out any suspension of the implementation of 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.”
Atiku and Obi have requested an inquiry into the claim of law modifications, urging the appropriate authorities to elucidate the situation regarding the alleged alterations and guarantee adherence to due process.
They claimed that an autonomous investigation would aid in rebuilding public trust, emphasizing that openness and responsibility were essential in issues concerning national financial policy.
In an interview, Atiku urged for the halt of the laws’ implementation while a comprehensive investigation into the allegations takes place.
Atiku, addressing the issue via his media representative, Paul Ibe, stated that pausing implementation would enable thorough examination by legislators and the public, thereby protecting the integrity 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 clauses not initially deemed criminal were subsequently added to aim at political rivals.
Obi characterized the situation as a perilous intensification from ineffective governance to blatant legal violations, cautioning that the supposed changes endangered the Constitution.
Cautioning that public confidence in governance was swiftly declining, Obi contended that individuals should not be forced to bear greater tax loads in an environment lacking transparency.
The ex-governor of Anambra State, in a statement shared on his X account, characterized the purported change as not just a simple administrative error but “a grave issue that undermines constitutional governance and highlights the depth of our institutional decline.”
“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 characterized the tax reform laws as “draconian,” urging their swift suspension so the legislature can assess the potential forgery involved and implement required corrective measures.
The party, through its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, cautioned that altering a law once it has been approved by the National Assembly signifies Tinubu’s intention to centralize authority in himself.
The party urged for a public inquiry to examine the circumstances related to the unlawful modifications of an officially enacted law and to guarantee that those responsible faced justice.
At the same time, the Take-It-Back Movement announced it had started rallying Nigerians across the country against the tax reform laws, labeling the reforms as “unjust and unlawful.”
In an interview, the National Coordinator of the movement, Juwon Sanyaolu, referred to the alleged modification as an ongoing display of impunity by the Tinubu-led government, contending that the policy aimed to take advantage of everyday Nigerians
“The law itself is primarily targeted against the people of Nigeria. This tax reform seeks to exploit about 90 per cent of the population,” he said.
According to him, the tax reform targets employers, entrepreneurs, young people, content creators and other informal workers, despite what he described as the government’s failure to provide basic services.
