National Assembly to clarify alleged discrepancies in gazetted tax acts

The National Assembly has said it is taking steps to address public concerns over alleged discrepancies in the Tax Acts, promising to make available certified copies of the bills signed by President Bola Tinubu.

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The Director of Information, Bullah Bi-Allah, in a statement on Thursday, said the Assembly has directed the Clerk to release the transmitted tax bills.

According to him, the bills include the certificate pages to allow the public to verify the documents.

He said the management had taken note of the alleged discrepancies between votes and proceedings of the National Assembly and the gazetted versions of passed tax acts.

He said the decision to release the document was in response to public calls for transparency, adding that the release would allow members of the public to review and verify the documents.

He, however, said that despite widespread public interest, only a limited persons have formally requested the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the harmonised bills, affirming that all such requests had been processed.

According to him, the clerk is also working with the Federal Government Printing Press to publish the duly certified and assented Acts in compliance with the law.

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He said the gazettes are expected to be ready on Thursday.

Mr Bi-Allah said, while it was the duty of the clerk to initiate the gazetting process, the statutory responsibility for printing and publication lies with the federal government printing press.

To strengthen institutional processes, he said the National Assembly would review procedures for the transmission and gazetting of bills.

“Henceforth, all bills for presidential assent will be routed through presidential liaison officers.

“No request for gazetting an act of the National Assembly will be entertained by the printing press, unless initiated by the Clerk to the National Assembly or his authorised representative.

“National Assembly appreciates Nigerians for their interest and constructive engagement in strengthening transparency, accountability and professionalism in the legislative process.”

The four laws signed by President Bola Tinubu on 26 June 2025 are the Nigeria Tax Act, the Nigerian Tax Administration Act, the National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act.

Background

A member of the House of Representatives, Abdulsamad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto), had drawn the attention of the House to the tax laws, alleging that the versions passed by the National Assembly differed from the copies gazetted and made available to the public.

Mr Dasuki said he obtained copies of both the bills passed by the National Assembly and the gazetted versions, and discovered discrepancies between them.

In response, the House of Representatives set up a seven-member committee to investigate the alleged inconsistencies.

Although the committee has yet to submit its report, the lower chamber has ordered the re-gazetting of the tax laws.

READ ALSO: Court refuses to stop implementation of new tax laws

In a statement on Tuesday, President Bola Tinubu said the implementation of the laws would commence today, 1 January, as originally scheduled.

Mr Tinubu said his administration was aware of the public discourse surrounding alleged changes to some provisions of the recently enacted tax laws.

“No substantial issue has been established that warrants a disruption of the reform process. Absolute trust is built over time through making the right decisions, not through premature, reactive measures.
“I emphasise our administration’s unwavering commitment to due process and the integrity of enacted laws. The Presidency pledges to work with the National Assembly to ensure the swift resolution of any issue identified,” the president said.