Lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives are up in arms over an alleged directive by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio ordering the Clerk of the 10th National Assembly to withhold copies of the Tax Reform laws transmitted to President Bola Tinubu and signed into law.
Two senators and four House members said the embargo has fuelled suspicion and internal tension, as requests for the certified true copy (CTC) of the assented law were repeatedly denied. They insist the document is needed to verify claims that the version signed by the president differs from what lawmakers debated and passed.
The controversy followed allegations by AbdulSamad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto), who told the House that the gazetted tax laws did not reflect the Bills approved by the National Assembly. Raising a Point of Privilege, Dasuki said his review of the gazette, Votes and Proceedings, and harmonised versions revealed “completely different” content.
Several lawmakers subsequently demanded access to the signed law, but officials of the Clerk’s office reportedly said they were acting on Akpabio’s instruction not to release any copy. “This undermines legislative oversight and trust,” a senator said anonymously, warning that withholding the document threatened democratic accountability.
A House member from Oyo State also criticised Speaker Tajudeen Abbas for allowing the issue to linger into the New Year, despite concerns over the planned January 1 implementation of the law.
However, Senate Finance Committee member, Sunday Karimi dismissed reports of alterations as “rumours”, expressing confidence that President Tinubu would not be involved in subverting due process. He nonetheless said all versions of the Bill should be made public for transparency.
As of press time, Akpabio, the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly, and Speaker Abbas had not responded to requests for comment.
