A MEMBER of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdulsammad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto), on Wednesday raised serious concerns on the floor of the Green Chamber over alleged discrepancies between tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the versions later gazetted and released to the public.
News Point Nigeria reports that rising on a Point of Privilege under Order Six, Rule Two of the House Rules, Dasuki told lawmakers that his legislative privilege had been breached, alleging that the contents of the gazetted tax laws did not reflect the bills that were debated, voted on and duly passed by the House of Representatives.
According to the lawmaker, following the passage of the tax bills, he undertook a detailed review over the past three days, comparing the gazetted copies with the Votes and Proceedings of the House, as well as the harmonised versions adopted by both chambers of the National Assembly.
Dasuki said the exercise revealed what he described as troubling inconsistencies.
“I was here. I gave my vote and it was counted, and I am seeing something completely different,” he told the House.
He disclosed that he obtained copies of the gazetted tax laws from the Federal Ministry of Information, only to discover that the provisions contained therein differed from the versions approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The Sokoto lawmaker stressed that the issue transcended partisan politics or procedural motions, warning that it struck at the heart of constitutional governance and legislative integrity.
“This is not about moving a motion,” Dasuki said. “It is about drawing the attention of this House to what I consider a very serious breach of our legislative process and the Constitution.”
He cautioned that allowing laws different from those validly passed by the National Assembly to be presented as binding statutes would erode public trust in the legislature and undermine the rule of law.
Dasuki therefore urged the Speaker to direct that all relevant documents—including the harmonised versions of the tax bills, the Votes and Proceedings of both chambers, and the gazetted copies currently in circulation—be laid before the Committee of the Whole for comprehensive scrutiny by all lawmakers.
“Mr Speaker, I plead that all the documents be brought before the Committee of the Whole,” he said.
“Let all members see what is contained in the gazetted copy and compare it with what was actually passed on the floor, so that we can make the relevant amendments where necessary.
“Mr Speaker, this is a breach of the Constitution. This is a breach of our laws, and it should not be taken lightly by this honourable House.”
The allegation triggered murmurs across the chamber, as lawmakers appeared visibly concerned by the implications of the claim, especially given the sensitivity of tax legislation and its direct impact on Nigerians.
Responding, Speaker of the House, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, acknowledged the Point of Privilege raised by Dasuki and assured members that the matter had been noted.
The Speaker said appropriate action would be taken to address the concerns raised and to ensure that the integrity of the legislative process was preserved.