The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has constituted a seven-member fact-finding committee to investigate allegations that the recently assented tax reform laws were altered after being passed by the National Assembly.
The committee is chaired by Afam Ogene, who represents Ogbaru Federal Constituency in Anambra State, and is mandated to examine the circumstances surrounding the alleged discrepancies between the versions of the tax laws passed by the legislature and those published in the official government gazette.
The decision followed a motion raised during plenary by Abdussamad Dasuki, a lawmaker from Sokoto State, who alleged that the tax laws as gazetted materially differ from the harmonised versions approved by both chambers of the National Assembly.
Although Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, had earlier inaugurated a seven-member panel to look into the matter, the House subsequently directed the Clerk of the National Assembly to re-gazette the harmonised versions of the laws and issue Certified True Copies in an attempt to douse rising public tension.
Despite calls from lawmakers and civil society groups urging the Federal Government to suspend implementation of the new tax regime pending clarification of the alleged alterations, the government proceeded with the rollout on Thursday in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive, with the new tax framework taking effect from January 1, 2026.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Minority Leader of the House, Kingsley Chinda, alongside three other caucus leaders, said the decision to set up a separate committee followed extensive consultations with stakeholders.
“We wish to inform our members that after wide-ranging consultations with relevant stakeholders over the lingering controversy surrounding allegations of unlawful alterations to the tax reform laws passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President, and in view of the executive’s resolve to commence implementation of the laws from January 1, 2026, the leadership of the minority caucus of the House of Representatives considered it necessary to constitute a seven-man fact-finding committee to thoroughly examine all issues linked to this scandal,” the statement read.
Chinda stressed that the opposition caucus considered an independent inquiry imperative in the interest of transparency and accountability.
“As the opposition bloc in the House of Representatives, we believe we owe Nigerians a duty to conduct a fair, independent and non-partisan investigation in order to establish the facts and uncover the truth surrounding the tax laws,” he said.
According to the statement, the committee’s terms of reference include obtaining copies of the tax laws as passed by both chambers of the National Assembly and assented to by the President; securing the Nigerian Government Gazette containing the disputed versions; comparing the documents to ascertain whether the gazetted laws align with what was signed into law; and recommending appropriate actions should any irregularities be confirmed.
Other members of the committee are Jonathan Gbefwi, Shehu Fagge, Aliyu Garu and Stanley Adedeji, with Ibe Okwara and Marie Ibikake also serving on the panel.
The committee is expected to submit its report to the Minority Caucus within seven days.
Reaffirming its resolve, the Chinda-led caucus pledged to pursue the matter to its logical conclusion.
“We want to reassure Nigerians of our unwavering commitment to protecting their interests. This step is part of our determination to fully uncover the truth behind this controversy, which has continued to overheat the polity.
“We are resolute in ensuring that Nigerians, particularly the poor and vulnerable, are not short-changed,” the statement added.