The National Assembly leadership has directed the Clerk of the National Assembly (CNA) to re-gazette the Tax Reform Acts, set to take effect on January 1, 2026, and to provide certified true copies of the versions approved by both chambers.
While the gazetting process of these controversial tax acts wasn’t detailed, the standard procedure requires the concerned agency to scrutinise both the assented copy and the certified true copy passed by lawmakers to ensure accuracy and prevent alterations after presidential assent. The agency must afterwards submit it to the Clerk of the National Assembly, who will forward it to the government press for gazetting.
House spokesman Akin Rotimi stated that this administrative step, approved by Senate President Godswill Obot Akpabio and House Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, aims to authenticate and accurately reflect the National Assembly’s legislative decisions.
Following a directive, a House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee, along with other relevant National Assembly committees, has begun an institutional review to determine the sequence of events and contributing factors related to the legislative and administrative handling of the Acts.
The review, which is to be conducted in full conformity with Nigerian law and parliamentary practice, includes a careful examination of any established lapses, irregularities, or external interferences.
The current controversy on the tax acts started when Rep. Abdulsammad Dasuki (Kebbe/Tambuwal, Sokoto) alleged discrepancies between the official gazetted tax acts and the versions approved by lawmakers.
Rising under Order Six, Rule Two of the House Rules, Dasuki claimed that his legislative privilege had been breached, alleging modifications to the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025; and the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025.
Since the disclosure, recent public commentary has focused on the legislative process relating to the passage, presidential assent, and publication in the Official Gazette of the acts. The commentary raises concerns about the harmonisation of Senate and House bills, the documentation sent for Presidential assent, and the versions of Acts published in the Official Gazette.
Rotimi stated that these matters are being addressed strictly within the National Assembly’s constitutional and statutory remit.
“Last week, the House formed a seven-member Ad Hoc Committee to address the issue raised by an Honourable Member. This committee is collaborating with other relevant National Assembly committees and the National Assembly’s management to conduct an institutional review.”
“This review aims to establish the sequence of events and identify any factors that may have contributed to the circumstances surrounding the legislative and administrative handling of the Acts.
This review, according to Rotimi, focuses solely on institutional processes and procedures and does not imply any defect in the legislative authority exercised by the House or Senate.
“It is undertaken without prejudice to the powers, functions, or actions of any other arm or agency of government, and without prejudice to any rights, obligations, or legal processes arising under the Constitution or any other applicable law.
He assures that the House of Representatives remains firmly committed to the principles of constitutionalism, separation of powers, due process, and the supremacy of the rule of law, promising that where procedural or administrative refinements are identified, appropriate corrective measures will be taken in accordance with the law and established parliamentary conventions.
He admonishes Nigerians to allow the National Assembly’s institutional processes proceed without speculation or conjecture, assuring that the leadership of the House of Representatives remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the faithful discharge of its constitutional responsibility as custodian of the legislative authority of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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