Amid alteration claims, the House of Representatives has released Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the four tax reform Acts recently signed into law by President Tinubu
The House of Representatives has released the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the four tax reform Acts recently signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, following public controversy over alleged alterations to the legislations.
The move followed concerns raised during plenary over discrepancies between versions of the tax laws circulating in the public domain and the texts passed by the National Assembly.
Consequently, the Speaker of the House, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, with the concurrence of the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Saturday directed the immediate public release of the certified laws, including the endorsement and assent pages signed by the President, to enable verification and restore public confidence.
The Acts released are the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; the National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025; and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025.
The controversy was triggered during plenary when a lawmaker from Sokoto State, Rep. Abdussamad Dasuki, raised a point of privilege, drawing the attention of the House to what he described as inconsistencies between certain versions of the tax laws in circulation and those debated and passed by the National Assembly.
Dasuki warned that failure to address the issue could undermine public confidence in the legislative process and the integrity of the new tax laws.
Following his intervention, the House resolved to investigate the matter, prompting Speaker Abbas to order an internal verification of the Acts and the release of the certified versions to dispel doubts over their authenticity.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the spokesman of the House, Rep. Akin Rotimi, said the decision to release the Acts signed by President Tinubu “underscores the Speaker’s long-standing commitment to transparency, legislative integrity, and public confidence in the law-making process.”
“The attention of the House was drawn to the existence of inconsistent versions of the tax laws in circulation after a vigilant Honourable member identified discrepancies, raised the alarm, and formally reported the matter to the House on a point of privilege,” the statement said.
“Acting promptly, the Speaker ordered an internal verification and the immediate public release of the certified Acts to eliminate doubt, restore clarity, and protect the sanctity of the legislative record.”
Rotimi said Speaker Abbas provided firm leadership throughout the tax reform process, from stakeholder consultations and committee scrutiny to clause-by-clause consideration and plenary debates, ensuring the reforms were evidence-based, inclusive, and aligned with Nigeria’s fiscal realities.
He noted that the Speaker consistently emphasised that tax reform must be anchored on clarity, fairness, and strict adherence to constitutional and parliamentary procedures.
According to the statement, the four Acts form the backbone of Nigeria’s contemporary tax reform architecture, aimed at modernising revenue administration, improving compliance, reducing inefficiencies, eliminating duplication, and strengthening fiscal coordination across the federation.
“In directing the release of the certified Acts, the Speaker reassured Nigerians that the National Assembly remains an institution of records, guided by clearly defined rules, precedents, archival systems, and verification processes that safeguard the authenticity of every law enacted,” Rep. Rotimi said.
He quoted Speaker Abbas as saying, “The National Assembly is an institution built on records, procedure, and institutional memory. Every bill, every amendment, and every Act follows a traceable constitutional and parliamentary pathway. Once a law is passed and assented to, its integrity is preserved through certification and custody by the legislature. There is no ambiguity about what constitutes the law.”
The Speaker assured Nigerians that the only authentic and authoritative versions of the four tax Acts are those certified and released by the National Assembly, urging the public to disregard any unauthorised versions in circulation.
The House also disclosed that the Clerk to the National Assembly has aligned the certified Acts with the Federal Government Printing Press to ensure accuracy, conformity, and uniformity, adding that hard copies have been circulated to lawmakers and made available to the public.
Meanwhile, the House said the Ad-Hoc Committee earlier constituted to probe the alleged alterations would continue its work.
“The House affirms that the Ad-Hoc Committee, chaired by Rt Hon Muktar Betara, continues its investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the circulation of unauthorised versions of the tax Acts and to recommend measures to prevent a recurrence,” the statement said.
“The House of Representatives, under the leadership of Rt Hon Tajudeen Abbas, reaffirms its unwavering commitment to constitutionalism, the rule of law, transparency, and accountable governance.”
