Nigeria’s National Assembly has directed that certified true copies of the newly enacted Tax Reform Acts be made available to stakeholders and members of the public on request, as it moves to contain a growing controversy over allegations that the laws were altered after being approved by lawmakers and signed by the president.
In a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, the Senate’s director of information, Bullah Audu Bi-Alla, said parliament had also commenced an internal investigation into claims that some provisions of the tax legislation were modified following passage by both chambers and presidential assent.
The laws in question are the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025; and the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025.
According to the statement, public concerns had emerged over discrepancies between the harmonised versions of the bills passed by the National Assembly, the assent granted by President Bola Tinubu, and the texts later published in the Official Gazette.
“The leadership and management of the National Assembly are addressing these matters strictly within their constitutional and statutory mandate,” the statement said, adding that the relevant committees, working with parliamentary management, had begun an internal review to clarify the issues raised.
The Senate said the process was being conducted in line with the constitution, the Acts Authentication Act, the standing orders of both chambers and established parliamentary practice.
“As part of this review, and to ensure clarity, accuracy and the sanctity of the legislative record, the leadership has directed the clerk to the National Assembly to facilitate, in collaboration with relevant agencies, the publication of the Acts in the Official Gazette and to issue certified true copies of the assented Acts on demand to any stakeholder or member of the public,” it said.
Parliament stressed that the step was administrative in nature and intended solely to authenticate and formally reflect legislative decisions already taken. It insisted that the review did not suggest any defect in the exercise of legislative powers, nor did it encroach on the responsibilities of the executive or judiciary.
“The review is confined to institutional processes and procedures and does not constitute, imply or concede any defect in the exercise of legislative authority by either chamber,” the statement said.
The National Assembly reaffirmed its commitment to constitutionalism, separation of powers and due process, promising that any procedural or administrative lapses uncovered would be addressed in accordance with the law. Members of the public were urged to allow the legislature’s internal processes to run their course without speculation.
The move comes amid mounting pressure over the disputed tax reforms. On Wednesday, a former Senate leader, Ali Ndume, called on Tinubu to suspend implementation of the laws, which are due to take effect in January, citing unresolved claims that they were altered after passage.
Opposition politicians and civil society groups, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), have also urged the federal government to halt implementation. Earlier this week, the NBA president, Mazi Afam Osigwe, warned that the controversy risked undermining the credibility of Nigeria’s legislative process and struck at the heart of constitutional governance, calling for an open and transparent investigation.
The dispute intensified last week when a member of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki, alleged that the versions of the tax laws published in the Official Gazette differed from the final copies passed by the National Assembly and transmitted to the president for assent.
