The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has written to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), to widely publish certified true copies of recently passed tax bills and the tax laws signed into law.
SERAP said the request followed allegations of discrepancies between the tax bills passed by the National Assembly and the versions of the laws later gazetted by the Federal Government. According to the organisation, making the documents public would promote transparency and allow Nigerians to independently verify their authenticity.
The documents requested include the National Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, the Joint Revenue Board of Nigeria (Establishment) Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, and the Nigeria Tax Act.
In a Freedom of Information letter dated December 20, 2025, SERAP also asked the President to direct the Attorney General to clarify whether the versions of the tax bills received from the National Assembly were identical to those eventually signed into law and gazetted.
The request was contained in a statement signed on Sunday by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare. The organisation further called on President Tinubu to set up an independent panel
SERAP proposed that the panel be headed by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal, with its findings made public. It stressed that anyone found responsible for any unlawful alterations should be prosecuted where appropriate.
“Widely publishing a certified true copy of the version of the tax bills received from the National Assembly and a certified true copy of the tax laws signed by you would allow Nigerians to scrutinise the laws and compare them with the versions ultimately gazetted,” the group said.
SERAP warned that any unlawful alteration of the tax laws would violate the 1999 Constitution (as amended), international human rights standards, and the fundamental principles of the rule of law and separation of powers.
The organisation gave the Presidency a seven-day ultimatum to respond, stating that it would take legal action in the public interest if its request was ignored.
The development follows a point of privilege raised on December 17 by Abdussamad Dasuki (PDP, Sokoto) in the House of Representatives, who alleged discrepancies between the harmonised tax bills passed by lawmakers and the versions later gazetted by the Federal Government.
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