The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has requested that the federal government prolong the implementation of the tax regulations by six months.
The implementation of the tax laws is set to begin in January.
On Wednesday, Abdussamad Dasuki, a Sokoto state legislator, alleged that the gazetted tax laws available to Nigerians do not match the harmonised legislation enacted by the national legislature.
Dasuki stated that he got copies of the gazetted legislation from the Ministry of Information and discovered significant discrepancies when compared to the versions authorised by parliament.
“What was passed on the floor is not what is gazetted,” the lawmaker said.
He cautioned that the differences constituted a violation of the constitution and may jeopardise the legislature’s credibility if not remedied.
During Thursday’s plenary, the House of Representatives established a seven-member committee to investigate any anomalies in the gazetted tax laws.
Muktar Betara (chairman) is joined by Idris Wase from Plateau, James Faleke from Lagos, Sada Soli from Katsina, Iduma Igariwey from Ebonyi, Fredrick Agbedi from Bayelsa, and Babajimi Benson from Lagos.
The panel will compare the text passed by the national assembly to the officially gazetted copy to evaluate the nature and scope of the alleged errors.
In a statement, Ini Ememobong, PDP spokesperson, said the extension is necessary to allow the lawmakers to conduct a thorough probe.
“This disparity must be comprehensively investigated and not treated with the customary levity that this administration has shown toward very serious issues of governance,” the statement reads.
“Nigerians are interested in knowing how the insertions and substitutions got into the gazetted copy.
“The leadership of the house of representatives must not attempt to sweep it under the carpet, as it has done with the now popular rumour that the country is operating two budgets within a fiscal year.
“This criminal act of inserting unenacted sections in laws can erode public trust in the enactments of parliament. Nigerians need assurance that the laws they obey are valid laws enacted by their elected representatives, not laws with insertions that are strange to the lawmakers.
“Consequently, we demand that the commencement date of the tax act be shifted from January 1, 2026, for at least six months to allow sufficient time for the investigation of this anomaly, publication and circulation of the enacted version, and, more importantly, the mounting of sufficient enlightenment campaigns on the new act.”
Ememobong also lambasted the All Progressives Congress (APC) for detaining Nigerian Air Force (NAF) planes and personnel in Burkina Faso.
He complained that under the present government, Nigeria’s reputation and worldwide position had “progressively declined”.
Ememobong stated that the US government’s new visa restrictions on Nigeria are based on the country’s increasing insecurity and the government’s failure to successfully combat it, particularly in the north.
“This is the lowest that we have gone as a country due to poor leadership; even during military rule, such harsh treatment was not meted out on Nigeria and Nigerians,” Ememobong said.
“This is a sad commentary on the current leadership of our country, who have paid more attention to politics than governance.
“Rather than comprehensively tackle core security issues, the administration prefers to apply simplistic and tangential solutions and politicise security matters, like the recent uproar about the absurd attempt at promoting the President’s aide-de-camp and other presidential security aides.
“Under this administration, it is an undeniable fact that Nigeria’s military capacity has consistently reduced, as shown in the Global Firepower report 2024, where Nigeria dropped to 39th from its earlier 36th position in 2023.”
He said President Bola Tinubu did not attend the 68th ordinary session of the government meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja to discuss burning issues, especially insecurity and political instability, affecting member states.
“Presidents of member states travelled into Nigeria to attend the meeting due to the importance of the issues on the agenda, but the host, President Tinubu, was represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima,” he said.
“While the president is at liberty to send a representative if he is indisposed, subsequent attendance at a political event the next day creates a perception of less premium paid to regional stability, which is in opposition to our foreign policy.
“Acts like this may contribute to the scant regard our country has earned under his administration in the eyes of other countries, who respected and revered us previously.”
Ememobong urged Tinubu to put governance over politics and increase investment in key infrastructure, security, education, roads, and health care across the country, rather than supporting and strengthening political institutions in advance of the 2027 elections.
