A second member of the House of Representatives, Mansur Manu Soro, has come forward to allege "material discrepancies" in the recently gazetted 2025 Tax Laws.
This has further intensified a legislative scandal that has shaken the National Assembly just days before the laws are scheduled to take effect.
Soro, representing the Darazo/Ganjuwa Federal Constituency of Bauchi State, issued a statement Sunday calling for the immediate suspension of the tax reforms, scheduled for implementation on Jan. 1, 2026.
He joins Hon. Abdulsammad Dasuki (Sokoto), who first raised the alarm last Wednesday over unauthorized changes to the legislation after it had been passed by lawmakers.
“The differences are neither minor nor accidental,” Soro said, following what he described as a forensic review of the Votes and Proceedings of the House and the harmonized versions of the bills.
The growing controversy centers on claims that the versions of the four tax bills signed by President Bola Tinubu and subsequently gazetted contain provisions that differ significantly from the texts debated and voted on in the legislative chambers.
Soro warned that these discrepancies amount to a "constitutional breach," as legislative authority in Nigeria is vested solely in the National Assembly.
He noted that the altered sections appear to grant the executive branch expansive fiscal powers while stripping away the reporting requirements that lawmakers had insisted upon to ensure transparency.
In response to the initial allegations, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas constituted a seven-man ad-hoc committee last Thursday to investigate the extent of the alterations.
However, Soro expressed concern over the committee's timeline, noting that their one-week reporting deadline falls on Dec. 25, Christmas Day.
Given the proximity of the Jan. 1 start date, Soro revealed he is working with a coalition of fellow lawmakers to raise the issue as a "matter of urgent national importance" on the floor of the House this coming Tuesday.
The allegations have drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders and civil society groups.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra Governor Peter Obi have both released statements condemning the alleged "forgery" of the laws.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has also joined calls for a full public inquiry, demanding that any government official found culpable in the unauthorized changes be prosecuted.
