The presidency said no amount of opposition pushback would stop the implementation of the laws in January, while dismissing claims that it secretly altered some provisions of the newly enacted tax reform laws.
News360 Info reports that the tax reform laws, which faced stiff opposition from federal lawmakers from the northern part of the country before their passage, are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026.
President Bola Tinubu signed the four tax reform bills into law, marking what the government has described as the most significant overhaul of the country’s tax system in decades.
According to the Federal Government, the reforms are designed to simplify tax compliance, expand the tax base, eliminate overlapping taxes, and modernise revenue collection across federal, state, and local governments.
However, the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and several civil society organisations have called for the suspension of the implementation of the laws.
The call follows alleged discrepancies between the tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the versions gazetted and released to the public, raised by a member of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki.
Dasuki, who made the allegations during plenary, insisted that the content of the gazetted tax laws did not reflect what members debated, voted on, and passed, warning that, if not addressed, the alleged alterations could render the new tax laws legally vulnerable because they lacked legislative approval.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker further urged the speaker to ensure that all relevant documents, including the harmonised versions, votes, and proceedings of both chambers, were brought before the Committee of the Whole for scrutiny by all members.
In response to the opposition outrage, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, in an interview with Punch, insisted that there was no evidence that the laws had been altered.
While describing the criticisms as opposition noise, aimed at creating controversy around government policy, Ajayi argued that allegations that the tax documents were altered had not been established by any constituted authority.
According to him, the tax laws were enacted through due process and would take full effect from January 1, 2026, with relevant government agencies already mobilised to ensure smooth implementation.
He stressed that the implementation committee had been working for the past six months and would not be distracted by what he described as attempts to undermine the policy.
He said, “Opposition elements can say whatever they want, even when it is very obvious to every rational person that all they seek to do every time is to pollute the waters and create a toxic environment around policy issues.”
Ajayi noted that the House of Representatives had already established a committee to examine the allegations, led by the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, James Faleke.
According to him, the appropriate course of action is to allow the committee to carry out its assignment and present its findings.
