Pressure is intensifying on the Federal Government to suspend the implementation of Nigeria’s newly signed tax laws amid allegations that the versions gazetted differ from those passed by the National Assembly.
Lawmakers, opposition parties, civil society organisations, lawyers and youth groups have raised concerns that the tax laws, scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026, may have been altered after legislative approval, a development they warn could undermine constitutional order and public trust.
A member of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto), first raised the alarm during plenary, alleging discrepancies between the bills passed by lawmakers and the versions later gazetted. Another lawmaker, Mansur Manu Soro (Bauchi), said his review confirmed what he described as “material discrepancies,” including the removal of oversight provisions and the insertion of new coercive powers for the executive.
Soro called for the immediate suspension of the tax laws, insisting that any post-passage alterations must be identified and corrected by the National Assembly before implementation.
The four laws at the centre of the controversy are the National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act and the Nigeria Tax Act. They were passed in March, signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in June, and gazetted later that month.
Daily Trust investigations revealed notable differences between the versions passed by lawmakers and the gazetted copies, prompting lawmakers across party lines to voice concern. Some warned that the alleged changes appear to transfer powers from the legislature and judiciary to the executive, threatening the constitutional principle of checks and balances.
Civil society groups, including SERAP, CISLAC and CHRICED, have also demanded suspension of the laws and called for an independent investigation, warning that any unlawful alteration would amount to legislative forgery and a violation of the Constitution.
Legal experts argue that if the allegations are proven, the National Assembly has the authority to halt implementation, while some have called for the withdrawal of presidential assent pending clarification.
Northern youth groups have rejected the laws outright, describing the situation as a “constitutional crisis,” while opposition party ADC alleged that key accountability provisions were deleted and replaced with clauses granting excessive powers to tax authorities.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has constituted a seven-member ad-hoc committee to probe the allegations. The panel is expected to submit its report within one week, though uncertainty remains as lawmakers prepare for the Christmas recess.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Attorney-General of the Federation nor the Senate had issued an official response, further fuelling public pressure for transparency and urgent resolution.