Oyedele Urges Nigerians to Await Lawmakers’ Investigation on Alleged Tax Law Discrepancies
The chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, has urged Nigerians to wait for the outcome of the investigation by lawmakers into alleged discrepancies in the gazetted tax laws.
On Wednesday, Abdussamad Dasuki, a member of the House of Representatives from Sokoto, claimed that the gazetted tax laws available to the public differ from the versions passed by the National Assembly.
In response, the House set up a seven-member committee to investigate the alleged inconsistencies.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Monday, Oyedele said the lawmakers are best placed to address the matter, as they passed the bill to President Bola Tinubu for assent.
“Let’s wait for the findings of the lawmakers. If, indeed, there were alterations, and if those alterations were substantial—not merely editorial—then the next step would be to determine how best to address them,” he said.
Oyedele stressed that anyone claiming differences between the gazetted laws and the versions passed must have access to both copies.
“We have what is gazetted, but we don’t have what was passed,” he said.
“Only the harmonised bills certified by the clerk, which the National Assembly sent to the President, can provide an authoritative comparison. That’s a fundamental issue people need to understand.
“Only the lawmakers can authoritatively say, ‘This is what we sent,’ and it should be the harmonised version, not just the House of Representatives or Senate version. I don’t have it—I only have what was presented to the President for signing.”
Oyedele also dismissed widely circulated copies of the tax laws as fake. “Some reports referenced provisions that were never in the final gazette. For example, one draft included a 20 percent deposit in Section 41, subsection 8, which doesn’t exist in the official gazette. Yet, these drafts have circulated as if they were final,” he said.
He urged the committee to be allowed to complete its investigation, emphasising that the issue extends beyond the tax laws to the integrity of legislative processes.
“This is about ensuring quality assurance in our processes, similar to how currency or ballot papers are handled. Legislation should be just as secure,” Oyedele said.
The tax expert noted that multiple versions of legislation often appear in circulation in Nigeria, citing previous examples such as the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
