Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
As the controversy over the alleged doctoring of the New Tax Law continues, the House of Representatives has dismissed the interim report of an ad hoc committee set up by the Minority Caucus to re-examine the legislation.
The House said the Minority Caucus’ action is procedurally improper and lacks institutional backing.
Spokesman of the House, Hon. Akin Rotimi, stated in a statement issued on Sunday that under the Standing Orders of the House, only the plenary or the Speaker has the authority to constitute an ad hoc committee with parliamentary status.
The statement read: “No political caucus, whether majority or minority, possesses the procedural authority to establish a committee that carries the status of a parliamentary body.”
While acknowledging the legitimate role of political caucuses in parliamentary democracy, the House clarified that such groups are limited to consultation, coordination, and policy advocacy among members, and do not possess investigative or oversight powers.
It added: “Any action taken by a caucus in this regard is, therefore, non-binding, informal, and without legal or institutional consequence.”
According to the statement, any committee constituted outside prescribed procedures lacks institutional recognition.
The House further maintained that any interim or final report produced by a caucus-led body “cannot be laid before the House, cannot be received as a parliamentary document, and does not form part of the official legislative or oversight record of the National Assembly.”
It described the Minority Caucus’ action as inconsistent with parliamentary norms and capable of creating public confusion, especially since the tax law issue had already been addressed through established legislative mechanisms.
The statement recalled that in December 2025, the House constituted a bipartisan ad hoc committee following concerns raised by an opposition lawmaker over multiple documents claiming to be official gazettes of the tax legislation.
“That committee, constituted by the House in line with the Standing Orders, remains in force and continues to discharge its assignment,” Rotimi said, adding that its report would be presented upon completion.
The House noted that the National Assembly has since published the official gazette and issued Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the enacted tax laws, thereby concluding the legislative process and giving the laws full legal effect.
“The National Assembly has also formally disowned and debunked any unofficial documents in circulation, reiterating that only the gazetted versions and duly certified copies issued by the National Assembly constitute authentic legislative instruments,” the statement said.
It warned that the establishment of a parallel caucus-led committee and the circulation of purported interim findings could further compound public misunderstanding on an issue that has been “institutionally resolved and overtaken by events.”
Recall that the House of Representatives Minority Caucus had confirmed that key provisions of Nigeria’s 2025 tax reform laws were altered in the versions gazetted and released to the public. The caucus described the changes as a constitutional violation and a direct challenge to the authority of the legislature.
The confirmation is contained in the interim report of the House Minority Caucus Ad-hoc Committee on Tax Laws, which was made public on Friday. The findings followed a detailed review of the Certified True Copies (CTCs) of the four tax reform Acts released by the House at the directive of Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, and a comparison with the earlier gazetted versions.
The Minority Caucus, under the leadership of Kingsley Chinda, on January 2, 2026, inaugurated a seven-member fact-finding committee chaired by Victor Ogene.
The committee’s members include Aliyu Garu (Bauchi), Stanley Adedeji (Oyo), Ibe Osonwa (Abia), Marie Ebikake (Bayelsa), Shehu Fagge (Kano), and Gaza Gbefwi Jonathan (Nasarawa).
