Allegations of significant alterations in Nigeria's tax reform laws have sparked considerable controversy, drawing public outrage and parliamentary scrutiny. The issue first came to light on December 17 when Abdussamad Dasuki, a member of the lower legislative chamber, publicly claimed discrepancies between the tax laws passed by the parliament and their gazetted copies made available to the public. These alleged alterations pertained specifically to 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.

Even before the full scope of public concern materialized, the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives had on December 16 directed Kamoru Ogunlana, the Clerk of the National Assembly, to collaborate with relevant executive agencies to re-gazette the contentious tax laws. Subsequently, on January 3, the House of Representatives released gazetted copies of the tax laws, inviting public scrutiny to foster transparency.

Despite these actions, a seven-member ad hoc committee from the minority caucus, chaired by Anambra lawmaker Afam Ogene, launched its own probe into the alleged alterations. On a recent Friday, the committee released its interim report, asserting the discovery of "illegal" alterations in the gazetted copies. Ogene highlighted that a review of the acts revealed multiple versions in circulation, with preliminary findings from comparing the certified true copies (CTCs) released by the House against the earlier gazetted versions confirming alterations, particularly to the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025. The report further pointed to at least three different versions of this act in circulation and identified "procedural anomalies" in the directive to "align" the Acts with the Federal Government Printing Press, which it argued illegally encroached upon the legislative powers of the National Assembly.

However, Philip Agbese, the deputy spokesperson of the House of Representatives, swiftly responded to the minority caucus's report on Saturday, dismissing it as "belated and overtaken by events." Agbese contended that the leadership of the National Assembly had already taken decisive steps to comprehensively address all concerns surrounding the discrepancies in the gazetted tax laws.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Agbese clarified that Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, in close collaboration with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, had ensured the public release of the authentic Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the four Tax Reform Acts. These versions, he stated, were precisely what had been passed by the National Assembly and assented to by President Bola Tinubu. Agbese emphasized that with the release of these official CTCs, "there is now clarity as to what was passed by the National Assembly and signed into law," thereby restoring public confidence and reaffirming the independence and authority of the legislature.

Agbese further detailed that the Speaker had initiated an internal verification process, aimed at guaranteeing that only the authentic and duly passed versions of the laws remain in circulation. He asserted that this measure underscored the House’s unwavering commitment to transparency, due process, and the protection of democratic institutions. He added that the joint and proactive actions undertaken by the leadership of both legislative chambers demonstrated their collective resolve to safeguard the constitutional role of the legislature and prevent any erosion of its crucial lawmaking authority.

While acknowledging the inherent right of lawmakers to raise accountability concerns, Agbese maintained that the corrective measures already implemented by the House leadership had effectively settled the issue, rendering further controversy unnecessary. He affirmed that the House had acted "swiftly and responsibly," noting that the leadership did not wait for public pressure to escalate before taking action. The deputy spokesperson concluded by assuring Nigerians that the release of the Certified Acts had definitively resolved the matter, ensuring that citizens could now rely exclusively on the correct and lawful versions of the tax reforms, and that the House would continue to strengthen legislative processes to prevent future recurrences.