Hon. Abdulsammad Dasuki, a member of the House of Representatives representing Sokoto under the PDP, has raised urgent concerns over the authenticity of the recently enacted tax reform laws. He claims that the versions published in the official gazette differ significantly from the ones approved by the National Assembly.
Speaking under a point of privilege on the House floor, Dasuki revealed that a three-day review of the gazetted documents obtained from the Ministry of Information uncovered several clauses that do not match the harmonized bills debated and passed by both chambers.
The lawmaker described the discrepancies as a blatant breach of the Constitution and an infringement on the legislative authority of lawmakers. He stressed that the public-facing versions of the laws do not reflect what he and his colleagues actually voted for.
Reports indicate that one of the main areas of contention involves funding provisions. Clauses in the original bills referencing the Consolidated Revenue Fund were reportedly removed in the gazetted versions and replaced with more general language permitting funding through National Assembly appropriations.
The contested tax reform package includes four bills, among them the Nigeria Tax Act and the Nigeria Revenue Service Act, which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed into law on June 26, 2025. The reforms are set to take effect from January 1, 2026.
In response, House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas acknowledged Dasuki’s concerns and assured members that the House would investigate the matter thoroughly.
While Dasuki labeled the situation a constitutional violation, no impeachment process had been initiated as of December 18, 2025. The House is reportedly focused on tracing the source of the alleged changes and conducting a detailed comparison between the gazetted documents and the official legislative records.
