Senate President Godswill Akpabio has rejected claims that the recently implemented tax laws were altered after their passage by the National Assembly.
Akpabio insisted that the versions of the tax reform laws gazetted and signed by President Bola Tinubu faithfully reflect the resolutions reached by lawmakers in both chambers of the legislature.
He stated this during plenary while responding to allegations by a member of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dakuku, who had claimed that the tax reform bills passed by the National Assembly were different from the copies later circulated to the public.
The senate president described the claims as misleading and without basis.
According to him, only documents officially issued and certified by the National Assembly should be recognised as authentic, stressing that any version circulating outside official legislative channels does not represent the outcome of parliamentary proceedings.
Akpabio explained that the final versions of the tax laws emerged after detailed consideration by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as the harmonisation of areas of disagreement between the two chambers.
“I understand that there is another version that was circulating around, which was not in compliance with what was contained in our votes and proceedings,” Akpabio said.
He maintained that there was “no adulteration whatsoever” in the laws eventually assented to by the president.
The senate president disclosed that four tax-related bills had successfully completed the legislative process, adding that they were duly passed by the National Assembly, signed into law by President Tinubu and subsequently gazetted.
He further noted that the laws were certified by the Clerk to the National Assembly to eliminate confusion.
“The four acts are ready and gazetted and signed by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and certified by the Clerk to the National Assembly to avoid confusion,” he said.
Akpabio directed the Clerk of the Senate to distribute certified copies of the tax reform acts to all senators, stating that those absent would receive theirs at a later date.
He warned that the documents must not be circulated through unofficial channels, noting that restricting their release to the clerk’s office would help curb speculation and misinformation.
Akpabio added that the gazetted versions reflect proceedings in both chambers, including agreements reached during the harmonisation process, before transmission for presidential assent.
Meanwhile, the Senate has postponed consideration of the report of its Committee on Electoral Matters.
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, said the delay was partly due to the absence of the committee’s chairman, Senator Simon Lalong.
Bamidele explained that although copies of the report had been circulated, lawmakers required more time to study its contents.
He added that further deliberations, including a closed session, would be scheduled to examine critical aspects of the report.
Akpabio supported the postponement, saying the Senate preferred to be thorough rather than rushed.
“We don’t need to rush the report; due process and fairness would guide the chamber’s decision,” he said.
