By Gift ChapiOdekina, Abuja
The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has called for the immediate suspension of the implementation of the recently enacted tax reform laws, amid allegations that the statutes were unlawfully altered after being passed by the National Assembly and assented to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by the Minority Leader, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, alongside other principal officers of the caucus, the opposition lawmakers expressed “great consternation and overwhelming disappointment” over the controversy surrounding the tax reforms.
They warned that the allegations, if proven, strike at the core of Nigeria’s legislative integrity, constitutional order, and democratic governance.
While acknowledging that disagreements often accompany major reforms, the caucus said the present situation goes far beyond routine policy debate, as it involves claims that the laws were fraudulently altered, gazetted, and circulated in a form different from what was duly passed by both chambers of the National Assembly and signed into law by the President.
The Minority Caucus recalled that the matter was formally raised on the floor of the House during a recent plenary session, leading to the constitution of a high-powered investigative committee to probe the allegations.
The caucus pledged its full support for the investigation, assuring Nigerians that the truth would be uncovered and that anyone found culpable would be held accountable.
“We want to assure Nigerians that the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives will stand with the entire House to ensure that the circumstances surrounding this illegality are exposed and the culprits brought to book in the interest of justice,” the statement read.
The lawmakers emphasized that the National Assembly remains the lawful custodian of all Acts passed into law, noting that the gazetting process begins with the Clerk to the National Assembly transmitting certified copies of duly passed and assented bills to the appropriate federal agency for official publication.
They stressed that any version of the tax laws circulating without the signatures of both the Clerk to the National Assembly and the President cannot be regarded as authentic or reflective of the legislature’s intent.
The Minority Caucus therefore urged Nigerians, businesses, and other stakeholders to disregard any purported tax laws lacking proper certification, warning that any attempt to impose such documents on the public amounts to an assault on the constitutional role and independence of the National Assembly.
“Any attempt to foist fake laws on Nigerians is an attack on the independence and constitutional responsibility of the National Assembly in safeguarding democracy. We will unconditionally defend the legislature and democratic governance,” the caucus stated.
In view of the uncertainty, the opposition lawmakers formally called on the Federal Government to suspend the implementation of the tax reform laws until investigations are concluded and there is clarity and certainty on the authentic versions of the statutes to be enforced.
They also warned that legal ambiguity could undermine public confidence, disrupt business planning, and expose citizens and investors to arbitrary enforcement, stressing that Nigerians are entitled to know the exact laws they are expected to comply with.
The statement was jointly signed by Rep. Kingsley Chinda (Minority Leader), Rep. Ali Isa J.C. (Minority Whip), Rep. Aliyu Madaki (Deputy Minority Leader), and Rep. George Ozodinobi (Deputy Minority Whip).
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