Pat Stevens/
A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdulsammad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto), has alleged that the tax reform laws recently published in Nigeria’s Official Gazette are materially different from the versions passed by the National Assembly, describing the situation as a grave constitutional breach.
Raising the matter on the floor of the House, Dasuki said he had compared the gazetted copies of the laws with the texts debated, harmonised and approved by both chambers and found discrepancies.
He told colleagues that the versions now in circulation did not reflect what lawmakers voted for, insisting that he participated in the process and was certain of the contents approved by the legislature.
According to him, the differences were not minor drafting errors but changes that altered the substance of the laws passed by Parliament.
Dasuki warned that any alteration of legislation after it has been duly passed by the National Assembly undermines legislative authority and violates the Constitution, stressing that the Official Gazette is meant to be an exact and faithful publication of laws as enacted.
He urged the House to urgently compare the harmonised bills, the Votes and Proceedings and the gazetted texts to establish where the discrepancies arose and who was responsible.
In response, Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, acknowledged the seriousness of the allegation and assured members that the leadership would look into the matter.
He said appropriate steps would be taken to verify the claim and ensure that the integrity of the legislative process was protected.
The controversy centres on the tax reform package signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in June, which consolidated and overhauled Nigeria’s tax framework.
The reforms, which include the Nigeria Tax Act and related administration and revenue service laws, were promoted as part of efforts to modernise tax collection, improve compliance and boost government revenue.
Once signed by the President, the Acts were published in the Official Gazette, which serves as the authoritative public record of Nigerian law.
Legal experts note that if the gazetted texts are found to differ from what the National Assembly approved, it would raise serious constitutional and legal questions.
The proper publication of laws is a critical step in the legislative process, and any unauthorised alteration could expose officials involved to sanctions while also casting doubt on the enforceability of the affected provisions.
Depending on the findings, the issue could be resolved through correction and re-gazettement, legislative action or judicial intervention.
As of the time of reporting, no detailed official explanation has been issued by the relevant authorities on the alleged discrepancies, and Dasuki has not publicly released a line-by-line comparison of the differences he identified.
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