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The Digest:

A growing number of National Assembly members are raising alarms over alleged discrepancies between tax laws passed by the legislature and the versions later gazetted by the executive, deepening a crisis of legislative integrity and public trust. Two additional lawmakers, Hon. Muhammad Bello Fagge and Hon. Yusuf Shitu Galambi, have joined earlier objections, warning that the alterations undermine constitutional order and transfer excessive power to the executive.

Key Points:
  • The lawmakers appeared on BBC Hausa to detail inconsistencies in the Nigeria Revenue Service Act and Joint Revenue Board Act
  • They alleged that gazetted versions differ in key sections covering accounts, audit, enforcement, and oversight powers
  • Fagge stated the controversy is “about saving Nigeria,” not partisan politics
  • Galambi called for suspension of the laws’ January 2026 implementation pending investigation
  • He highlighted the removal of court-order requirements for enforcement as particularly dangerous
  • A seven-member House committee has been set up to investigate, with findings expected in four weeks
  • Experts warn that such alterations threaten constitutional governance and deepen public mistrust
  • The Federal Government maintains the laws will enhance fiscal equity and protect taxpayer rights
At the heart of Nigeria’s fiscal future lies a storm over process and power, where the line between lawmaking and law-altering blurs, and the very documents meant to govern become battlegrounds for democracy’s soul.

Sources: Daily Trust, BBC Hausa