Senate Affirms Authenticity of Newly Enacted Tax Laws, Dispels Rumours of Alterations

Jane Salihu

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has assured Nigerians that the tax laws which came into force in January remain intact and have not been altered in any form.

Speaking during plenary on Wednesday, Akpabio dismissed claims that multiple or conflicting versions of the tax laws were in circulation, stressing that only the duly passed and gazetted Acts should be recognised.

According to him, reports suggesting the existence of an alternative version not aligned with the official votes and proceedings of the National Assembly were unfounded, emphasised that the laws had followed due legislative process and were free from any form of manipulation.

Akpabio explained that four separate tax-related Acts had been properly concluded, gazetted, signed into law by the President, and certified by the Clerk to the National Assembly to eliminate any ambiguity.

To further prevent confusion, the Senate President directed the Clerk of the Senate to distribute certified copies of the gazetted Tax Reform Acts to all senators, insisting that the documents must be obtained only through official channels. Senators absent from plenary, he added, would receive their copies directly.

He noted that the final versions of the Acts reflected deliberations and resolutions reached in both chambers of the National Assembly, as well as the outcome of the harmonisation process, before receiving presidential assent.

Meanwhile, the Senate deferred consideration of the report of the Committee on Electoral Matters to allow lawmakers sufficient time to study its contents.

Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, explained that the committee’s chairman, Senator Simon Lalong, was not immediately available, although copies of the report had already been circulated among senators.

He said the upper chamber would reconvene to examine the report in detail, including a brief closed-door session to deliberate on key provisions before proceeding with its passage.

In his remarks, Akpabio supported the decision to delay consideration of the report, noting that the Senate would adopt a careful and deliberate approach to ensure fairness and justice in the legislative process.