By Muhammad Mamman
A member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki, has accused unknown actors of altering tax bills after they were duly passed by both chambers of the National Assembly, triggering concerns over legislative integrity and due process.
Speaking on the floor of the House on Tuesday, Dasuki said he had observed “significant discrepancies” between the versions of the tax bills approved by lawmakers and the copies currently in circulation for onward transmission, urging his colleagues to act swiftly to safeguard the authority of parliament.
According to him, the alleged alterations, if left unaddressed, could undermine public confidence in the legislative process and expose the National Assembly to legal and constitutional challenges.
“This House must take this matter seriously. What we passed is not necessarily what is being presented now,” Dasuki told fellow lawmakers, calling for an immediate investigation to determine how the changes occurred and who may be responsible.
The tax bills, which form part of the government’s broader fiscal reform agenda, were passed after weeks of debate in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. They are intended to streamline tax administration, improve revenue generation and reduce ambiguities in existing tax laws.
In response to Dasuki’s intervention, presiding officers directed relevant committees to review the bills line by line against the versions approved during plenary, and to report back to the House.
Nigeria’s National Assembly has previously faced public scrutiny over discrepancies between bills passed by lawmakers and final versions sent for presidential assent, prompting renewed calls for stricter internal controls and transparency.
As of the time of reporting, no official response had been issued by the leadership of the National Assembly on the specific allegations, but lawmakers say the matter will be treated as urgent in the coming days.
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