An ad-hoc committee of the House of Representatives Minority Caucus has confirmed that Nigeria’s newly enacted tax laws were forged after their passage by the National Assembly, declaring the alterations illegal and a direct assault on legislative authority and constitutional governance.
Presenting its interim report, the committee—chaired by Hon. Afam Victor Ogene—said its findings established clear evidence of post-legislative manipulation, with substantial discrepancies between the versions of the laws approved by lawmakers and the gazetted copies already in circulation, particularly the Nigeria Tax Administration Act (NTAA), 2025.
According to the committee, investigations revealed the existence of three different versions of the NTAA. A forensic comparison with the Certified True Copies (CTCs) issued on the directive of Speaker Abbas Tajudeen showed that the gazetted version contained unauthorised insertions, deletions, and alterations that were never debated or approved by the National Assembly.
Among the most alarming confirmations of forgery were provisions that lowered tax reporting thresholds, thereby expanding the tax net without parliamentary approval; inserted new clauses compelling taxpayers to deposit 20 per cent of disputed tax sums before accessing the courts; and expanded enforcement powers, including arrest and sale of assets without a court order.
The committee further confirmed that the forged version removed Petroleum Profits Tax and Value Added Tax (VAT) from the definition of federal taxes and imposed U.S. dollar-based tax computation for petroleum operations—measures that lawmakers insist were completely absent from the version passed on the floor of the House.
Similar acts of forgery were also identified in the Nigerian Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025, where clauses granting the National Assembly oversight and mandatory reporting powers were found to have been deleted in the gazetted document.
The Minority Caucus said the Speaker’s earlier directive to “align” the Acts with the Federal Government Printing Press further reinforced suspicions of irregular handling of the laws after legislative approval.
Describing the confirmed alterations as “an affront to the Constitution and the doctrine of separation of powers,” the committee concluded that the discrepancies amounted to documentary forgery and a usurpation of legislative powers.
The panel has therefore requested additional time to conduct a full-scale investigation, identify those responsible for the forgery, restore the authentic versions of the laws, and safeguard the integrity and independence of the National Assembly.
