The National Assembly has directed that Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the recently enacted Tax Reform Acts be made available to stakeholders and members of the public upon request, while also initiating an internal investigation into allegations that some provisions of the laws were altered after they were passed by lawmakers and assented to by the President.
The directive was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja by the Director of Information for the Senate, Bullah Audu Bi-Allah, amid growing public debate and concern over the authenticity and integrity of the tax laws recently signed into force.
According to the statement, the affected legislations include the Nigeria Tax Act, 2025; the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025; the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, 2025; and the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025, all of which form the core of the Federal Government’s tax reform agenda.
The National Assembly said concerns had been raised in the public space regarding discrepancies between the versions of the bills passed by both chambers of the legislature, the versions assented to by the President, and the copies of the Acts subsequently published in the Official Gazette.
It stated that the leadership and management of the National Assembly were addressing the issues strictly within their constitutional and statutory mandate, stressing that the matter was being handled through established legislative procedures.
According to the statement, the relevant committees of the National Assembly, working in collaboration with its management, have commenced an internal review process aimed at clarifying the issues raised and ensuring the accuracy of the legislative record.
The Senate noted that the exercise was being carried out in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Acts Authentication Act, Cap. A4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, the Standing Orders of both chambers, and established parliamentary practice.
As part of the process, the leadership of the National Assembly has directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to facilitate, in collaboration with relevant agencies, the publication of the assented Acts in the Official Gazette and to issue Certified True Copies of the laws on demand to any stakeholder or member of the general public.
The statement emphasised that the action was purely administrative and intended solely to authenticate and formally reflect the legislative decisions already taken by the National Assembly, without altering the substance of the laws as passed.
It further clarified that the internal review does not imply any defect in the exercise of legislative powers by either chamber of the National Assembly, nor does it encroach on the constitutional responsibilities of other arms of government.
The leadership also reaffirmed its commitment to constitutionalism, the separation of powers, transparency, and due process, assuring that any procedural or administrative lapses discovered in the course of the review would be addressed strictly in accordance with the law.
The development comes against the backdrop of a growing controversy surrounding the Tax Reform Acts, including calls by a former Senate Leader and Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to suspend the implementation of the laws pending the resolution of the dispute.
Ndume, who made the call earlier in the week, cited claims and counterclaims that the tax laws were altered after being passed by the National Assembly, an appeal that followed protests by opposition politicians and civil society organisations, including the Nigerian Bar Association.
The President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe, had warned that the controversy surrounding the tax reforms could undermine the credibility of Nigeria’s legislative process, describing the issues raised as striking at the heart of constitutional governance and calling for an open and transparent investigation.
The controversy was further heightened last week when a member of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki, alleged that the versions of the tax laws published in the Official Gazette differed from the final copies passed by the National Assembly and transmitted to the President for assent, an allegation that has continued to fuel public scrutiny and demands for clarity from the legislature.