Reps set up panel to probe ‘discrepancies’ in gazetted tax laws

The house of representatives has constituted a seven-member committee to investigate the alleged discrepancies in the gazetted tax laws.

Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, announced members of the committees during plenary on Thursday.

The committee members are Muktar Betara (chairman), Idris Wase (Plateau), James Faleke (Lagos), Sada Soli (Katsina), Iduma Igariwey (Ebonyi), Fredrick Agbedi (Bayelsa) and Babajimi Benson (Lagos).

The panel is expected to compare the text passed by the national assembly with the officially gazetted copy to determine the nature and extent of the alleged inconsistencies.

On Wednesday, Abdussamad Dasuki, a lawmaker from Sokoto, claimed that the gazetted tax laws available to Nigerians do not reflect the harmonised legislation passed by the national assembly.

Dasuki said he obtained copies of the gazetted laws from the ministry of information and found notable differences when compared with the versions approved by the parliament.

“What was passed on the floor is not what is gazetted,” he said.

Dasuki warned that the discrepancies amounted to a breach of the constitution and could undermine the integrity of the legislature if not addressed.

He urged the speaker to direct that all relevant documents, including the harmonised versions, be reviewed by the committee of the whole for scrutiny.

A government gazette is the official publication used to promulgate laws and legal notices after legislative approval and presidential assent, serving as the authoritative text relied on by government agencies, courts and the public.

The house passed the tax reform bills in March, and the senate passed them in May 2025, and President Bola Tinubu signed them into law in June.