The Federal Government has denied allegations that it secretly altered provisions of the newly signed tax reform laws before they were published in the official gazette. The Presidency said the laws now in force reflect what President Bola Tinubu signed and that any claims of changes made outside due process are unfounded.
Presidential officials stressed that neither the President nor any authorised aide instructed anyone to tamper with the content of the tax bills passed by the National Assembly. They maintained that the executive respected the outcome of legislative debates and followed the standard procedure from passage to presidential assent and gazetting.
Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, urged critics to allow the House of Representatives ad hoc committee to complete its investigation into the alleged discrepancies. He said any genuine errors or inconsistencies discovered in the gazetted versions could be corrected using established legal and parliamentary channels.
Oyedele explained that the committee did not draft the gazette and has no role in producing or printing it, adding that its work ended at the point of providing technical input to the original bills. He warned against politicising the issue in a way that could undermine public confidence in much needed tax reforms aimed at simplifying the system and easing compliance.
The Presidency also defended the planned January 1, 2026, start date for implementing the new laws, arguing that delays would harm the economy and prolong uncertainty for businesses. Officials said the government remains open to adjustments if Parliament recommends changes after its investigation, but sees no reason to suspend the entire framework.
Lawmakers such as Abdussamad Dasuki and Mansur Manu Soro had earlier alleged that some oversight provisions approved by the National Assembly were missing from the gazette, while new coercive clauses were added. The House has set up a committee to review all documents and report back, a process the Presidency says it fully supports.
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