By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives has released certified copies of four major tax reform laws after concerns were raised over conflicting and unauthorised versions circulating in the public space.
According to a statement signed by the House Spokesman, Rep. Akintunde Rotimi, the move, led by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, follows allegations that some versions of the newly passed tax laws had been altered after presidential assent.
In response, the Speaker, working with the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, ordered the immediate public release of the official documents to “eliminate doubt, restore clarity, and protect the sanctity of the legislative record”.
The Certified True Copies (CTCs), complete with the endorsement and assent pages signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, were made available on Saturday for public record, verification and reference.
The controversy surfaced after a member of the House flagged discrepancies in versions of the laws already in circulation and raised the matter on a point of privilege.
The Speaker promptly ordered an internal verification exercise and authorised the release of the certified Acts.
The four laws are:
• The Nigeria Tax Act, 2025
• The Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025
• The National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025
• The Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, 2025
He explained that together, they form the backbone of Nigeria’s latest tax reform drive, aimed at modernising revenue administration, improving compliance, reducing inefficiencies and strengthening fiscal coordination across the federation.
Speaker Abbas said the National Assembly’s procedures leave no room for doubt over what constitutes the law.
“The National Assembly is an institution built on records, procedure, and institutional memory. Every Bill, every amendment, and every Act follows a traceable constitutional and parliamentary pathway. Once a law is passed and assented to, its integrity is preserved through certification and custody by the legislature. There is no ambiguity about what constitutes the law”, he emphasised.
He reiterated that only the versions certified and released by the National Assembly should be regarded as authentic, warning Nigerians to ignore any other documents in circulation.
Throughout the tax reform process, the Speaker said the House prioritised broad consultations, committee scrutiny and rigorous debates to ensure the laws were fair, clear and in line with Nigeria’s fiscal realities.
Following the release, the Clerk to the National Assembly has aligned the certified Acts with the Federal Government Printing Press to ensure accuracy and uniformity. Hard copies have also been produced and circulated to lawmakers and made available to the public.
Meanwhile, an ad-hoc committee chaired by Rep. Muktar Aliyu Betara, is continuing its work to determine how the unauthorised versions emerged and to recommend safeguards against a repeat.
The House said the action underlines its commitment to transparency, constitutionalism and the rule of law, adding that it would continue to strengthen internal controls to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s legislative process.
