The confirmation came on Friday when the committee submitted an interim report on its findings. The issue concerns tax reform laws passed by the National Assembly and signed by President Bola Tinubu. The matter involves discrepancies found between the versions approved by lawmakers and those later published in the official government gazette. The review was carried out to determine whether the laws were tampered with, and the committee found that illegal changes had indeed occurred.
The committee said the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, 2025, showed the most noticeable differences. According to the report, there were multiple versions of the law in circulation, which raised concerns about how the alterations happened after legislative approval. The investigation began after a lawmaker raised an alarm on the floor of the House over differences between the copies passed by lawmakers and those publicly released.
Following the complaint, the Minority Caucus set up a seven-member committee in early January 2026 to investigate the issue. The committee compared certified true copies released by the House with the gazetted versions and confirmed that several sections did not match.
Among the changes discovered was a reduction in the income threshold for individuals required to report taxes. The committee also found new provisions in the gazetted version that were not passed by the National Assembly, including requirements for taxpayers to deposit part of disputed sums before appealing tax decisions. In addition, enforcement powers granted to tax authorities were expanded without legislative approval, allowing arrests and asset sales without court orders.
The panel further observed changes affecting petroleum tax provisions and currency calculations, which differed from what lawmakers originally approved. It also found that sections granting the National Assembly oversight over the Nigerian Revenue Service were removed in the published version.
The committee said these findings raised serious concerns about respect for legislative authority and constitutional processes. Based on the issues uncovered, the panel requested more time to continue its investigation to fully determine how the alterations were made and who was responsible.
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