Akpabio, Abbas direct re-gazetting of new tax laws amid controversy
The leadership of the National Assembly, led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, has directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to re-gazette Nigeria’s newly enacted tax laws following growing controversy.
The directive was disclosed on Friday in a statement by the spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Akin Rotimi, who said the National Assembly had commenced a review of the tax laws to address concerns raised in the public space.
According to him, the decision to re-gazette the laws was taken to provide clarity and ensure accuracy in the legislative record, stressing that the matter is being handled strictly within the constitutional and statutory powers of the National Assembly.
Rotimi explained that the leadership ordered the re-gazetting of the Acts and the issuance of Certified True Copies of the versions duly passed by both chambers. He noted that the step is purely administrative and aimed at properly authenticating and reflecting the legislative decisions taken by the National Assembly.
‘In the course of this review, and in the interest of clarity, accuracy, and the integrity of the legislative record, the leadership of the National Assembly, under the President of the Senate, Distinguished Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, GCON, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, PhD, GCON, has directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to re-gazette the Acts and issue Certified True Copies of the versions duly passed by both Chambers of the National Assembly. This administrative step is intended solely to authenticate and accurately reflect the legislative decisions of the National Assembly,” the statement reads.
The controversy follows claims by a lawmaker, Abdulsamman Dasuki, who recently raised concerns over discrepancies between the tax laws passed by the legislature and the versions that were gazetted. His claims triggered widespread public criticism and debate over the integrity of the process.
The tax laws are expected to be implemented from January 2026.
