The Presidency is yet to respond to allegations of discrepancies between the tax bills passed by the National Assembly and the versions signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and subsequently gazetted by the government.
The allegation was raised on Wednesday by a member of the House of Representatives, Abdulsammad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto), who brought a matter of privilege before the House.
Rising under Order 6, Rule 2 of the House Rules on a Point of Privilege, Dasuki told lawmakers that his legislative privilege had been breached. He alleged that the content of the tax laws as gazetted and made available to the public did not reflect the versions that were debated, voted on and passed by the House of Representatives.
According to him, the alleged discrepancies raise serious concerns about the integrity of the legislative process and the authenticity of the laws currently in force.
As of Thursday, efforts to obtain a response from the Presidency were unsuccessful. The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, and the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communications, Mr Daniel Bwala, could not be reached on their mobile telephone lines when contacted for reactions.
The House is expected to deliberate further on the matter as lawmakers seek clarification on the alleged differences between the approved bills and the gazetted laws.
