The House of Representatives has released the certified copies of the four tax reform Acts recently signed into law by President Bola Tinubu, following public concerns over alleged discrepancies and the circulation of unauthorised versions.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by the House spokesperson, Akin Rotimi. Rotimi said the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, directed the immediate release of the Certified True Copies of the Acts, including the endorsement and assent pages signed by the president, to Nigerians for public record, verification and reference.
He explained that the decision, taken in concert with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, followed allegations that versions of the tax laws in circulation differed from those passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the president.
The controversy was first raised on the floor of the House by Abdulsamad Dasuki, who drew lawmakers’ attention to alleged discrepancies between the tax Bills passed by the legislature and the versions later gazetted and made public by the executive arm.
Dasuki warned that the inconsistencies, if left unchecked, could undermine legislative integrity and public confidence in the law making process.
His intervention triggered debates within and outside the National Assembly, with legal practitioners, tax experts and civil society organisations demanding clarification and a suspension of the implementation of the Acts.
In response, Abbas constituted a seven member ad hoc committee chaired by Aliyu Betara, with members including Idris Wase, Sada Soli, Adedeji Faleke, Igariwey Iduma, Fred Agbedi and Babajimi Benson.
The committee was mandated to investigate the circumstances surrounding the alleged alterations, how unauthorised versions came into circulation and measures to prevent a recurrence.
Abbas also ordered an immediate internal verification of the Acts and approved the public release of the certified versions to eliminate doubts, restore clarity and protect the sanctity of the legislative record.
The four tax reform laws 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 House described the laws as the backbone of Nigeria’s contemporary tax reform framework, aimed at modernising revenue administration, improving compliance, reducing inefficiencies, eliminating duplication and strengthening fiscal coordination across the federation.
It said the Speaker provided firm leadership throughout the reform process, from stakeholder consultations and committee scrutiny to clause by clause consideration and robust plenary debates, to ensure the reforms were inclusive, evidence based and aligned with Nigeria’s fiscal realities.
Reassuring Nigerians, Rotimi said: “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.”
He added: “Once a law is passed and assented to, its integrity is preserved through certification and custody by the legislature, and there is no ambiguity about what constitutes the law.”
Rotimi further stressed that the only authentic and authoritative versions of the four tax Acts are the certified copies released by the National Assembly.
He said: “Members of the public, institutions, professionals, and stakeholders are therefore advised to disregard and discountenance any other documents or versions in circulation that are not certified by the National Assembly, as such materials do not form part of the official legislative record.”
