The House of Representatives on Thursday set up an ad hoc committee to investigate alleged discrepancies between the tax reform laws passed by the National Assembly and the version gazetted by the Federal Government and currently in circulation.
This came as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) called on the Federal Government to further postpone the January 1, 2026 commencement date of the new tax laws by six months. President Bola Tinubu recently signed four major tax reform bills into law, described by the government as the most comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s tax system in decades.
The laws include the Nigeria Tax Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, all operating under the Nigeria Revenue Service. The reforms are aimed at simplifying tax compliance, expanding the tax base, eliminating multiple taxation, and modernising revenue collection across all tiers of government.
The PDP said its call for a delay followed alleged illegal alterations made to the laws after passage by the National Assembly. The party argued that extending the commencement date would allow sufficient time for investigation and public enlightenment on the reforms.
The laws are currently scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026, after a six-month transition period. However, the reforms have continued to generate mixed reactions nationwide.
On Wednesday, a PDP lawmaker from Sokoto State, Abdussamad Dasuki, alerted the House to alleged discrepancies between the versions passed by lawmakers and the gazetted copies. He warned that such alterations, if confirmed, could render the laws legally vulnerable.
At Thursday’s plenary, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas described the allegations as serious and announced a seven-member ad hoc committee to probe the matter and report back to the House. The committee is chaired by Mukhtar Betara, with Idris Wase, James Faleke, Sada Soli, Igariwey Iduma, Fredrick Agbedi, and Babajimi Benson as members.
Dasuki had earlier urged the House to compare the gazetted documents with the versions passed by parliament, describing the alleged alterations as a breach of the Constitution.
Reacting, the PDP commended Dasuki for what it called his diligence and courage, and demanded that the commencement of the Tax Act be shifted by at least six months to allow for proper investigation of the anomaly. The party warned that inserting provisions not approved by lawmakers could erode public trust in legislative processes.
The PDP’s position followed a call by the National Opposition Movement (NOM), which on Wednesday demanded the immediate suspension of the tax reforms’ implementation. Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, NOM spokesperson Chille Igbawua said Nigerians were already grappling with poverty, unemployment, and rising living costs, and warned that the new tax regime could worsen their situation.
However, the Federal Government pushed back, insisting that the reforms are pro-poor and aimed at improving national revenue without burdening vulnerable citizens. The Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs, Tope Fasua, said the reforms were being misrepresented by some individuals seeking to undermine them.
Fasua spoke during the inauguration of a joint committee of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms in Abuja, stressing that the policies were designed to protect the poorest Nigerians and support development.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele, said the reforms would ease, not worsen, the burden on citizens, noting that misinformation had fuelled public anxiety.
The Director-General of the NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, said the agency would deploy its communication platforms nationwide to address misconceptions about the reforms, stressing the importance of clear public understanding ahead of the planned January 1, 2026 implementation.
ADEOLA KUNLE
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