Lawmaker alleges discrepancies between passed tax law, official gazette
A member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki, has alleged that the tax reform legislation passed by the National Assembly differs from the version published in the official government gazette.
Dasuki, who represents Kebbe/Tambuwal federal constituency in Sokoto State, raised the issue on the floor of the House during Wednesday’s plenary under a point of privilege.
A government gazette is the official publication used to formally announce laws and legal notices after legislative approval and presidential assent. It serves as the authoritative reference relied upon by courts, government agencies, and the public to determine the law currently in force.
According to Dasuki, the gazetted version of the tax law available to Nigerians does not accurately reflect what lawmakers debated, harmonised, and approved.
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“What was passed on this floor is not what has been gazetted,” he said. “I participated in the vote, my vote was counted, yet what I am seeing now is completely different.”
The lawmaker stated that he personally obtained copies of the gazetted law from the Ministry of Information and discovered inconsistencies when compared with the version approved by the House.
He urged the Speaker to review the harmonised bill alongside the gazetted copy and the version passed during plenary, warning that the discrepancy constitutes a serious constitutional violation.
“This is a breach of the constitution and our laws, and it should not be treated lightly by this honourable House,” Dasuki said.
Although he did not formally move a motion, Dasuki requested that the version passed by the National Assembly be presented before the Committee of the Whole to allow lawmakers to compare it with the gazetted document.
In response, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas acknowledged the concern and assured members that appropriate action would be taken.
The House of Representatives and the Senate passed the tax reform bills in March and May, respectively, and President Bola Tinubu signed them into law in June.
The bills initially faced resistance from several northern governors, who warned that the reforms could disadvantage the region. They called for equitable implementation and urged the National Assembly to reject the proposals. However, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum later endorsed the reforms after reaching an agreement on a revised value-added tax (VAT) sharing formula.
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