Group Calls for Urgent Suspension, Probe of Alleged Alterations to Nigeria’s Tax Reform Laws

The Arewa 100 Percent Focus, an advocacy group promoting transparency, accountability and socio-economic equity, has called for the immediate suspension and investigation of Nigeria’s Tax Reform Laws over alleged post-passage alterations, describing the development as a betrayal of public trust.

In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, the group’s National President, Hon. Dr. Abubakar Sadiq Saadu (Fakai), expressed strong concern over what he described as disturbing discrepancies between the versions of the tax reform bills passed by the National Assembly and those later gazetted by the Executive.

According to the statement, the group’s concerns follow revelations by Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki, a member of the House of Representatives representing Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency in Sokoto State under the Peoples Democratic Party.

Dasuki reportedly raised a point of order during plenary on December 17, 2025, alleging material differences between the bills approved by lawmakers and the gazetted copies.

The lawmaker was said to have compared the transmitted bills with the gazetted documents over several days and identified what he described as unauthorized alterations that deviated from the legislative intent approved by both chambers of the National Assembly.

The group warned that if confirmed, such changes would amount to a serious constitutional breach, undermining the separation of powers and the integrity of Nigeria’s legislative process.

Arewa 100 Percent Focus noted that concerns over the Tax Laws 2025 have continued to grow within the National Assembly, with some members of the House of Representatives calling for an immediate suspension of the laws, while several senators have urged the Federal Government to halt the planned January 1, 2026 implementation.

It added that reports indicate a committee has been constituted to investigate the alleged post-passage modifications, with legal experts examining their implications for the Tax Administration Bill and the Nigeria Revenue Service Bill.

The statement acknowledged the Federal Government’s response through the Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, who dismissed the allegations, insisting that only one authentic version of the laws exists and that no alterations were made after presidential assent by Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

However, the group said the denial has further deepened public skepticism, especially amid calls by lawmakers, opposition parties, civil society groups and other stakeholders for greater transparency.

It also criticised the refusal of Senate President Godswill Akpabio to release certified copies of the transmitted bills for public scrutiny.

“As an organisation committed to good governance and the protection of the interests of northern Nigeria, where these tax reforms have already raised concerns about equity and resource distribution, we can no longer repose trust in this reform process,” the statement said.

The group warned that any tampering with duly passed legislation would not only violate constitutional norms but also undermine national unity, public confidence and economic stability.

It called on Nigerians, the media and the international community to remain vigilant and hold the government accountable, stressing that the controversy surrounding the tax laws represents a critical test of Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

“This is not a mere legislative technicality; it is a test of the resilience of our democracy,” the statement concluded.