The Deputy Spokesman for the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, has pushed back strongly against allegations that the recently passed tax laws were tampered with, dismissing the claims as baseless and designed to mislead the public.
Agbese addressed the controversy on Sunday, February 1, in Abuja, where he spoke to journalists about the growing debate surrounding the authenticity of the tax legislation signed by President Bola Tinubu.
The deputy spokesman warned that continuing to entertain such allegations without evidence risks undermining public trust in the National Assembly and creating unnecessary tension.
He maintained that every step of the legislative process was followed correctly in passing the tax laws and that suggestions of falsification or cover-up have no foundation.
“It is sheer mischief to suggest the tax laws were falsified,” he said.
Agbese noted that the House has already moved to address public concerns by setting up a dedicated committee to examine the tax legislation, making claims of bad faith on the part of lawmakers entirely unfounded.
“This is exactly why the House set up a committee to clarify the facts. Nigerians should not be misled into thinking that lawmakers are acting in bad faith,” he said.
The controversy was sparked by Senator Ali Ndume of Borno South, who alleged during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time last week that at least two versions of the tax law exist and that what was signed by the president differs from what the National Assembly actually passed.
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Ndume said he brought the discrepancies to the attention of Senate leadership but was disappointed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s refusal to set up a probe into the matter.
Agbese cautioned against turning the issue into a political football, pointing out that proper mechanisms already exist within the legislature to address any genuine errors or inconsistencies in the law.
He stressed that lawmaking requires adherence to facts and due process, and that spreading unsubstantiated claims could distract from the broader goal of reforming Nigeria’s tax system for the public good.
The concerns about possible alterations first emerged late last year when several lawmakers, including Ndume and House member Abdussamad Dasuki, questioned differences between the versions of the tax bills circulated during debates and those eventually sent for presidential assent.
Dasuki had alleged that certain provisions in the final harmonised bills looked different from what legislators had approved, calling for a thorough review to protect legislative integrity.
Ndume supported these concerns, arguing that the apparent discrepancies required an independent investigation into whether the differences arose during harmonisation, gazetting, or transmission to the presidency.
Despite the leadership of both chambers insisting that proper procedures were followed throughout, public pressure and growing scrutiny led the House of Representatives to establish a committee to look into the claims and verify the legitimacy of the enacted tax laws.