The 10th National Assembly has moved to quell growing controversy over Nigeria’s newly enacted tax laws by opening its legislative records for public scrutiny and pledging to release certified copies of the Bills signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Director of Information of the National Assembly, Bullah Bi-Allah, said the leadership of the 10th Assembly had directed the Clerk to make available the transmitted tax Bills, including the certificate pages, to enable Nigerians independently verify the documents.
The decision follows widespread public debate and allegations of discrepancies between the versions of the tax reform Bills passed by the National Assembly and those subsequently gazetted. According to Bi-Allah, the Assembly had taken note of claims that the Votes and Proceedings of lawmakers did not align with the gazetted Acts.
“To respond to public calls for transparency, the leadership of the National Assembly has directed the Clerk to release the transmitted tax Bills duly signed by the President, alongside the certificate pages,” he said, adding that this would allow members of the public to review and verify the facts.
The controversy was heightened after a lawmaker from Sokoto State, AbdulSamad Dasuki, alleged during plenary that copies of the tax laws in circulation differed materially from what was approved by parliament. Ruling on the matter, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, constituted an ad-hoc committee chaired by a Borno lawmaker, Muktar Betara, to investigate the allegations and report back to the House.
Bi-Allah noted that despite intense public interest, only a limited number of individuals had formally applied for Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the harmonised Bills, stressing that all such requests had been processed. He encouraged interested members of the public to apply to the Clerk’s office, specifying the Bills required and paying the prescribed fees.
On the gazetting process, the National Assembly disclosed that the Clerk was working closely with the Federal Government Printing Press to ensure the duly certified and assented Acts are published in line with statutory requirements. The gazettes, he said, were expected to be ready as of yesterday.
While clarifying roles, Bi-Allah explained that although the Clerk initiates the gazetting process, the statutory responsibility for printing and publication rests with the Federal Government Printing Press.
To prevent a recurrence of the controversy, the National Assembly said it was reviewing its internal procedures for the transmission and gazetting of Bills. Going forward, all Bills for presidential assent will be routed through Presidential Liaison Officers, while the Printing Press will no longer entertain requests to gazette Acts unless initiated by the Clerk of the National Assembly or an authorised representative.
The development comes amid calls by several Nigerians and groups for the suspension of the implementation of the new tax laws pending clarification of the alleged discrepancies. However, President Tinubu has insisted that the reforms will be implemented as scheduled.
On Tuesday, the President directed that the new tax laws — including those that took effect on June 26 and others commencing on January 1, 2026 — should proceed as planned. While acknowledging ongoing public discourse around the alleged alterations, Tinubu maintained that no substantial issue had been identified to justify halting the reforms.
The 10th National Assembly, in its statement, thanked Nigerians for their engagement, describing public scrutiny as vital to strengthening transparency, accountability and professionalism in the legislative process.
