Senators, Reps Fume as Akpabio Orders NASS Clerk to Withhold Certified Copy of Tax Bill Sent to Tinubu for Assent
Lawmakers across both chambers of the National Assembly are reportedly dissatisfied with Senate President Godswill Akpabio following a directive that allegedly stopped the Office of the Clerk from releasing copies of the recently assented tax reform law, PulseNets has learnt.
Multiple legislators disclosed that the instruction has heightened suspicion within the parliament, particularly after several senators and members of the House of Representatives were denied access to the final version of the bill signed into law by President Bola Tinubu. According to the lawmakers, the refusal came despite repeated requests aimed at verifying that the assented document was consistent with the certified true copy passed by both chambers.
PulseNets learnt that concerns escalated after a House member, Abdulsammad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto State), raised alarm that the tax laws currently in circulation did not reflect what lawmakers debated and approved during plenary.
Rising on a Point of Privilege under Order Six, Rule Two of the House Rules, Dasuki argued that his legislative rights had been violated, maintaining that the gazetted tax laws differed substantially from what was passed on the floor of the House.
“I participated fully in the process, I voted, and my vote was recorded, yet what I am seeing now is entirely different,” Dasuki stated, adding that copies of the gazetted tax laws he obtained from the Ministry of Information were inconsistent with the versions approved by both the House and the Senate.
The lawmaker explained that he spent several days cross-checking the gazetted documents against the Votes and Proceedings of the House, as well as the harmonised versions adopted by the National Assembly, insisting that the discrepancies were too significant to ignore.
He further clarified that his intervention was not about initiating a motion but about drawing attention to what he described as a grave breach of legislative procedure and constitutional order.
Following his allegation, PulseNets learnt that lawmakers from both chambers formally requested access to the signed law to enable a side-by-side comparison with the version passed during plenary sessions.
PulseNets obtained and reviewed a certified true copy of the tax bill as approved by the National Assembly, a development that has further intensified questions over why the leadership would restrict access to the assented version of the law.
As of the time of filing this report, Senate President Akpabio, the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, had not responded to enquiries seeking clarification on the matter.
However, PulseNets reported that officials within the Clerk’s office informed lawmakers that they were acting strictly on the directive of the Senate President, who allegedly instructed that no legislator should be given a copy of the assented tax law.
“What we are witnessing is a dangerous attempt to undermine our young democracy, and Nigerians of good conscience must rise with us,” a senator from the ruling party said in confidence, citing fears of political backlash.
The senator added, “I have personally visited the clerk’s office no fewer than four times in the last week, asking for the certified documents, and each time I was told the Senate President ordered that nothing be released to anyone.”
A member of the House of Representatives from Oyo State, who spoke to PulseNets, described the situation as deeply troubling, expressing disappointment over Speaker Abbas’ handling of the issue ahead of the Christmas recess.
“This matter demands urgency and sensitivity,” the lawmaker said. “Instead, we have postponed the crisis into the new year, even as indications suggest the administration may proceed with the January 1 implementation of this so-called law.”
The dispute now centres on the contents of the gazetted tax document, with lawmakers insisting that access to the assented copy is critical to determining whether any alterations were introduced between legislative passage and presidential assent. They warned that continued denial of access weakens legislative oversight and erodes trust within the parliament.
Meanwhile, Senate Finance Committee member, Sunday Karimi, dismissed claims of alterations as unverified speculation.
“At this point, it remains a rumour with nothing concrete to back it up,” Karimi told PulseNets. “That said, it is the duty of the Finance Committee to look into it. Both the version passed by the National Assembly and the gazetted copy should be openly available for Nigerians to scrutinise.”
Karimi also expressed confidence in President Tinubu, stating that the president would not be involved in any process that undermines democratic norms.
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“The president is a responsible and trustworthy leader,” he said. “I do not believe his administration would participate in anything that sabotages our democracy, which is why I still think much of what we are hearing could turn out to be unfounded.”
As tensions persist, lawmakers from both chambers have intensified calls for the immediate release of the certified true copy transmitted to the president, insisting that, as elected representatives who voted on the bill, they are entitled to review the final version that now carries the force of law.
