The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has called for a comprehensive probe into alarming discrepancies found between tax bills passed by the National Assembly and the versions subsequently gazetted and signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This grave concern was first brought to light on Wednesday by Hon. Abdulsammad Dasuki (PDP Sokoto), a member of the House of Representatives, who raised a matter of privilege on the floor of the House. Dasuki alleged that the content of the tax laws as gazetted did not accurately reflect what lawmakers had debated, voted on, and officially passed, constituting a breach of his legislative privilege.

The SCSN, through a statement issued on Thursday by its Secretary General, Nafiu Baba-Ahmad, noted these alleged additional clauses and substantial material alterations in the gazetted tax laws with extreme seriousness. The Council highlighted that these additions were neither debated nor approved by the National Assembly. If proven true, the SCSN warned that such actions would represent a severe and egregious constitutional infraction, carrying far-reaching implications for Nigeria's democracy, governance, economic stability, and public trust. Given the profound impact of tax legislation on the lives of ordinary citizens, businesses, and various societal obligations, the SCSN emphasized its active role in monitoring and contributing to the legislative process of these tax reform bills, always advocating for fairness, equity, transparency, constitutional compliance, and the protection of public interest.

The Council expressed its shock and deep disturbance over allegations that what Nigerians, through their elected representatives, collectively debated, scrutinized, and agreed upon, might have been altered at the executive level. The SCSN unequivocally stated that such an action, if established, would equate to tampering with the sovereign will of the Nigerian people and would fundamentally undermine the constitutional governance framework. They further stressed that allowing laws different from those duly passed by the National Assembly to be presented to Nigerians would erode the integrity of the legislature and violate core constitutional provisions.

In response to these serious claims, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, on Thursday, promptly set up a seven-man ad-hoc committee to investigate the alleged discrepancies. The committee will be chaired by Hon. Muktar Aliyu Betara, with other notable members including former Deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase, Sada Soli, James Abiodun Faleke, Fred Agbedi, Babajimi Benson, and Iduma Igariwey. Hon. Dasuki had urged the Speaker to ensure that all relevant documents, including the harmonized versions of the bills, the Votes and Proceedings of both chambers, and the gazetted copies in circulation, be thoroughly scrutinized by the Committee of the Whole to identify any alterations and make necessary amendments.

Both the SCSN and Hon. Dasuki have called upon all stakeholders, particularly the leadership of the National Assembly—Speaker Rt. Hon. Tajuddeen Abbas and President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio—to uphold their constitutional responsibilities. They urged for a transparent examination of these claims and for appropriate actions to be taken before the tax laws are scheduled to commence on January 1, 2026. The Council underscored that Nigerians deserve respect, transparency, and fidelity to due process, demanding that lawmakers be allowed to openly and unhindered compare the harmonized bills with the gazetted versions. The potential consequences of such alleged infractions are dire, including the erosion of public confidence, the weakening of the doctrine of separation of powers, exposure of the affected laws to constitutional challenges, economic uncertainty, and a loss of investor confidence. More critically, these actions could set a dangerous precedent where laws become negotiable instruments rather than binding outcomes of democratic deliberation. The SCSN concluded by urging that this matter be treated with urgency, sincerity, and transparency to preserve constitutional order, protect institutional credibility, and reaffirm the supremacy of the Nigerian Constitution, ensuring that Nigeria’s democracy is not undermined by executive overreach or procedural shortcuts.