A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdulsammad Dasuki (PDP Sokoto), has raised alarm, alleging discrepancies between the tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the versions subsequently gazetted and made available to the public.
Dasuki raised the issue during Wednesday’s plenary, arguing that his legislative rights had been breached because the content of the gazetted tax laws did not reflect what lawmakers debated and approved on the floor of the House.
“I am here today because my privilege as a member of this House has been breached,” he said.
According to him, after the passage of the tax bills, he spent three days reviewing the gazetted copies alongside the Votes and Proceedings of the House and the harmonised versions adopted by both chambers of NASS. He observed discrepancies.
“I was here, I gave my vote and it was counted, and I am seeing something completely different,” Dasuki said, noting that copies of the gazetted laws obtained from the Ministry of Information did not match the versions approved by the House and Senate.
The lawmaker stressed that his concern was not about moving a motion but about alerting the House to a serious breach of legislative process and the Constitution.
He urged Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to ensure that all relevant documents including the harmonised versions, Votes and Proceedings of both chambers, and the gazetted copies in circulation are presented to the Committee of the Whole for scrutiny by all members.
“Mr. Speaker, the whole members should see what is in the gazetted copy and compare it with what they passed on the floor so that the necessary amendments can be made. This is a breach of the Constitution and our laws,” Dasuki said.
Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, acknowledged the concern and noted that action would be taken.
The House of Representatives and the Senate passed the tax reform bills in March and May, respectively.
On 26 June 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the four (4) Tax Reform Bills into law. These laws include the Nigeria Tax Act (NTA), the Nigeria Tax Administration Act (NTAA), the Nigeria Revenue Service Act (NRSA) and the Joint Revenue Board Act (JRBA).
The Acts comprehensively overhaul the Nigerian tax landscape to drive economic growth, increase revenue generation, improve the business environment, and enhance effective tax administration across the different levels of government.
In the new tax law, the Value Added Tax rate remains at 7.5 per cent despite initial proposals to increase to 12.5 per cent, but its scope is expanded.
Essential items such as food, education, healthcare, public transport, residential rent, and exports are zero-rated to ease inflationary pressure.
For revenue allocation is restructured: now 30 per cent of VAT proceeds are distributed based on consumption (rather than contribution), 50 per cent equally among states, and 20 per cent to population-based allocation.