Members of the House of Representatives during plenary
The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to suspend the implementation of the newly enacted tax laws amid growing allegations that the versions gazetted differ from what lawmakers passed.
The caucus made the call following renewed insistence by the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr Taiwo Oyedele, that the January 1, 2026, implementation date for the Nigerian Tax Act and the Nigerian Tax Administration Act remains unchanged.
Oyedele, speaking after a meeting attended by the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacchaeus Adedeji, and the Chairman of the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee, Joseph Tegbe, said the reforms were designed to ease the tax burden on Nigerians.
According to him, about 98 per cent of workers will either pay no Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax or pay less, while 97 per cent of small businesses will be exempted from Corporate Income Tax, Value Added Tax (VAT) and Withholding Tax. He added that large businesses would also see a reduction in their tax obligations.
“The whole idea is to promote economic growth, inclusivity and shared prosperity for Nigerians,” Oyedele said, while also welcoming the National Assembly’s decision to investigate allegations surrounding the tax laws.
However, in a joint statement signed by Minority Leader, Rep. O.K. Chinda; Minority Whip, Rep. Ali Isa J.C.; Deputy Minority Leader, Rep. Aliyu Madaki; and Deputy Minority Whip, Rep. George Ozodinobi, the caucus urged the government to halt implementation until investigations are concluded.
The lawmakers said Nigerians and the business community deserve access to the authentic versions of the laws they are expected to obey, stressing the need for clarity and legal certainty.
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They expressed concern over what they described as serious allegations of unlawful alterations to the tax reform laws after their passage by the National Assembly and assent by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The caucus noted that the House has already set up a high-powered committee to investigate claims that the tax laws were fraudulently altered before being gazetted and circulated to the public.
It assured Nigerians that the National Assembly remains the custodian of authentic legislative documents and pledged to ensure that the truth prevails and any wrongdoing exposed.
The Minority Caucus also advised Nigerians to disregard any tax laws circulating without the signatures of the Clerk to the National Assembly and the President, warning that such documents did not originate from the legislature.
The controversy was triggered by a member of the House, Abdussamad Dasuki, who raised concerns over discrepancies between the tax laws passed by lawmakers and the versions made public, arguing that lawmakers’ legislative rights may have been breached.
President Tinubu recently signed four tax reform bills into law, describing them as the most comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s tax system in decades. The laws are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026.
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