Tensions have escalated in Nigeria’s House of Representatives over alleged unauthorized changes to recent tax reform laws, sparking a clash between House leadership and the minority caucus ahead of plenary resumption.
The minority caucus, through an ad-hoc committee led by Afam Ogene, released an interim report confirming discrepancies in the Nigeria Tax Administration Act and others, claiming unauthorized insertions threaten legislative integrity.
House leadership dismissed the report, with Deputy Spokesman Philip Agbese calling it belated and non-binding, emphasizing that certified true copies of the laws had restored clarity.
A statement from the House Spokesman, Akin Rotimi, reiterated that only committees formed by the House or Speaker hold parliamentary authority, declaring the caucus committee’s work unofficial.
Ogene countered, accusing the leadership of trivializing serious breaches and warned ignoring the report encourages impunity.
He questioned why the official Betara-led committee remains active if issues were resolved.
Meanwhile, the National Tax Policy Implementation Committee (NTPIC) has begun stakeholder consultations to ensure smooth rollout of the tax reforms, working with the Nigeria Revenue Service to address misinformation and align implementation.
Separately, Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) clarified the new Nigeria Tax Administration Act (NTAA) allows recovering unpaid taxes from third parties’ accounts linked to defaulters, including banks, employers, and business partners, underlining enforcement powers granted by the 2025 law.
The tax reform controversy remains a key issue as lawmakers prepare to resume sessions, with both sides defending their positions on legislative process and transparency.
