Juliet Jacob 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) urges the federal government to delay implementation of Nigeria’s newly enacted Tax Reform Acts, raising concerns that published versions may not match what the National Assembly approves.
In a statement Tuesday, NBA President Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, warns that discrepancies in the laws threaten constitutional governance and public trust. “Legislation with far-reaching economic consequences requires complete procedural transparency,” Osigwe says.
The controversy follows claims by Abdulsamad Dasuki, a lawmaker from Sokoto State, who identifies inconsistencies between harmonised bills passed by parliament and the versions later published.
His allegations prompted the House of Representatives to set up a seven-member ad-hoc committee to investigate.
Meanwhile, Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, says his team works strictly with gazetted copies and lacks access to certified versions submitted by lawmakers.
Appearing on Channels Television, Oyedele says only the National Assembly can validate the final texts, dismissing circulating documents as unauthorised.
The NBA insists on an independent review before enforcement, warning that premature implementation could disrupt business operations, deter investment and create legal uncertainty.
The reforms include the Nigeria Tax Act, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Act, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in June 2025.
As investigations continue, legal and business stakeholders closely watch developments, calling for clarity to safeguard confidence in Nigeria’s legislative process.
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Korede Abdullah 
Chukwu Obinna 
Oluwatobi Adu