President Bola Tinubu is facing mounting political and public backlash following the decision of Nigeria’s National Assembly to disown the four recently gazetted tax laws over alleged alterations that did not reflect what lawmakers passed.
The controversy deepened after the National Assembly released the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the Acts, insisting that the versions gazetted and circulated to the public were inconsistent with the texts approved during plenary sessions. Parliamentary leaders maintained that only the CTCs represent the authentic laws passed by both chambers and transmitted for presidential assent.
The affected legislations include the Nigeria Tax Act, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act. According to lawmakers, discrepancies were discovered in key areas such as enforcement powers, reporting thresholds, oversight provisions, and the scope of authority granted to tax institutions—raising fears that the laws may have been materially altered after passage.
The matter has triggered widespread calls for accountability across political, legal, and civil society circles. Several lawmakers have demanded a full investigation to determine who altered the laws, where the changes were made, and under whose authority. They warned that failure to identify and prosecute those responsible could set a dangerous precedent capable of undermining Nigeria’s constitutional order and the integrity of the legislative process.
Within the National Assembly, voices in both the House of Representatives and the Senate have argued that any post-passage modification of an Act amounts to illegality and, potentially, criminal conduct. Some lawmakers have openly described the episode as an institutional embarrassment that must be corrected through transparency and sanctions.
Opposition figures and legal analysts have also joined the chorus, calling for those responsible for the alleged alterations to be named and brought to justice, stressing that governance cannot thrive where laws passed by elected representatives are quietly changed without due process.
While the Tinubu administration has emphasized the importance of tax reforms for economic stability and revenue generation, the unfolding dispute has shifted public focus from reform objectives to questions of legality, accountability, and respect for democratic institutions.
As pressure mounts, the National Assembly has urged Nigerians, businesses, and government agencies to rely strictly on the Certified True Copies of the laws, pending clarification and possible re-gazetting. The episode has renewed calls for reforms in Nigeria’s law-making and gazetting procedures, with many insisting that accountability for the alleged alterations is now unavoidable.
Abuja Network News
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