The allegation made on Wednesday by House of Representatives member Hon. Abdulsammad Dasuki, that the soon-to-be-implemented tax laws were altered, has sparked outrage among Nigerians.
In a viral video on X, the lawmaker claimed there are discrepancies between the tax legislation passed by the National Assembly and the versions that were gazetted and made available to the public.
He insisted the changes were not clerical errors and argued that they amounted to a breach of the Nigerian Constitution.
“Mr Speaker, honourable colleagues, what was passed on this floor is not what is gazetted. I gave my vote, it was counted, and I am seeing something completely different.
“This is a breach of the Constitution and our laws, and this should not be taken by this Honourable House,” he said.
In response, the Speaker, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, assured members that the matter would be investigated.
The allegation has since triggered reactions across Nigeria, with some commentators suggesting that the offence is impeachable if verified.
On X, a user known as OurFaveOnlineDoc alleged that “the presidency just played the National Assembly as fools. This is a total new low for this country.”
Human-rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong also stated that, if true, the allegation is an impeachable offence.
Likewise, another user, Obiasogu David, wrote that “if this is true, then the government has committed a constitutional fraud.”
As of the time of filing this report, the Presidency has yet to comment on the allegation.
Politics Nigeria reported that the new tax law, signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in June, is scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2025.Read Full / Original .