Concerns have deepened over alleged alterations to tax laws passed by the National Assembly, after two more lawmakers raised objections to the gazetted versions, warning that the discrepancies could undermine constitutional order and further erode public trust in government.
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Hon. Muhammad Bello Fagge (representing Fagge Federal Constituency, Kano) and Hon. Yusuf Shitu Galambi (Gwaram Federal Constituency, Jigawa) made the allegations while speaking on BBC Hausa’s Ra’ayi Riga programme.
TheNigeriaLawyer had reported how a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdulsammad Dasuki (PDP Sokoto), on Wednesday raised a matter of privilege on the floor of the House, alleging discrepancies between the tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the versions subsequently gazetted and made available to the public.
Rising under Order Six, Rule Two of the House Rules on a Point of Privilege, Dasuki told the House that his legislative privilege had been breached, insisting that the content of the tax laws as gazetted did not reflect what lawmakers debated, voted on and passed on the floor of the House.
Hon. Fagge said the opposition had initially objected to the bills, a move that led to wider consultations across the country before their eventual passage.
“We in the opposition initially objected to the tax bills because of fears that certain provisions could be introduced without proper scrutiny. This led the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to constitute a committee that went round the country, met with traditional rulers and governors, and asked them to submit their grievances and suggestions to the National Assembly. After that process, the bills were harmonised and approved,” he said.
Fagge said the controversy arose when the gazetted versions of the laws differed from what lawmakers approved.
“However, when the laws were later gazetted, what appeared was different from what we approved in Parliament. There were discrepancies, meaning that what was signed is not what we at the National Assembly passed,” he stated.
He cited the Nigeria Revenue Service Act, noting differences in Section 25 on accounts and audit, as well as Sections 26 and 30.
Fagge added that the Joint Revenue Board Act also contains discrepancies, particularly in Sections 9, 14, 30, 40 and 44.
“Even if it is just one part that is different from what we agreed, there is a problem,” he emphasized.
The lawmaker warned that some provisions appear to have transferred powers from the legislature and the judiciary to the Executive, particularly to the Nigeria Revenue Service.
“There is no way the legislature will make a law without giving itself oversight functions. That is the essence of checks and balances. The issue goes beyond party politics. This is not about opposition politics. This is about saving Nigeria,” Fagge declared.
Also speaking in the programme, Hon. Galambi said public opposition to taxation is often driven by mistrust over how government spends public funds.
“We all know that people do not like tax because of the mistrust they have about how government utilises their money. But if people are certain and have trust, nobody will object,” he said.
Galambi described the allegations of alterations as disturbing, though still unproven, and said the National Assembly has set up a committee to investigate the matter.
He urged the government to suspend implementation of the tax laws scheduled for January 2026 pending the committee’s findings.
“If alterations are found, the law should be brought back and corrected in line with what the legislators passed. If nothing is found, then implementation can go ahead,” Galambi said.
He also raised concerns over alleged changes granting the Nigeria Revenue Service enforcement powers without court orders, contrary to what lawmakers approved.
“We said enforcement should only be with a court order. If the court order requirement has been removed, it can create tension in the country and people will not agree with it,” he said.
The lawmakers said the committee has four weeks to review the allegations and make recommendations, stressing that the tax laws were only passed after consultations with Nigerians to ensure they serve the interest of the masses.
Recall that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Thursday set up a seven-man ad-hoc committee to investigate the allegations of discrepancies between the tax bills passed by the National Assembly and the versions subsequently assented and gazetted.
The committee is chaired by Hon. Muktar Aliyu Betara, with former Deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase, Sada Soli, James Abiodun Faleke, Fred Agbedi, Babajimi Benson and Iduma Igariwey as members.
If proven, the allegations would represent a significant breach of constitutional procedures and could potentially invalidate aspects of the tax laws currently in circulation.
The House awaits the ad-hoc committee’s findings as lawmakers seek to establish whether there were indeed unauthorized alterations to legislation they voted on and passed.
The tax laws in question were scheduled to take effect in January 2026, but the ongoing controversy may force a delay pending resolution of the allegations.
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