ARISE Director of News and Politics Editor, Sumner Sambo,has raised concerns over alleged discrepancies in Nigeria’s recently harmonised tax legislation, warning that any tampering with the final document would amount to a grave offence against democratic governance.
In an interview with ARISE News on Monday,Sambo questioned the lack of transparency surrounding the harmonised tax bill transmitted between the National Assembly and the Presidency, amid claims by lawmakers that the version signed and gazetted differs from what was agreed by both chambers.
Sambo said the issue points to possible procedural lapses, noting that Nigeria’s legislative process is well established. “There is a way harmonised views are passed to the president, and if the executive has any objection, there is a process. But we seem to be hitting in the dark,” he said.
He explained that once a bill is harmonised, it passes through multiple layers of scrutiny before presidential assent. “The House of Representatives says the copy that was harmonised is not the one the president signed or the one gazetted. Gazetting is the job of the Minister of Information. The Attorney General would have looked at the harmonised copy, the State Council would have looked at it. The job of the president is just to sign or not, based on advice,” Sambo stated.
According to him, the silence of the Senate on the matter was troubling. “This is supposed to be a harmonised bill between two chambers, so where is the Senate? Why can’t they just publish the harmonised copy so everyone can see it for themselves?” he asked, adding that Nigerians do not need “a PhD in taxation” to understand differences in legislative drafting.
Sambo stressed that the Clerk of the National Assembly should also clarify how the alleged discrepancies occurred. “Gazetted copies are worked out between the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Attorney General, the Ministry of Information, and then published through the Federal Government Press. So at what point were those documents tampered with?” he queried.
He warned that if any arm of government altered the bill after legislative approval, it would constitute a serious breach. “If it is found that the document was tampered with, that would be an unforgivable offence against the people of Nigeria. Allegedly, if the executive tampered with it, that is an impeachable offence,” Sambo said, while urging that the executive be given the benefit of the doubt until facts are established.
Sambo also highlighted fears surrounding provisions reportedly empowering tax authorities to arrest defaulters without court orders. “What lawmakers are saying they passed is that tax authorities must obtain a court order before taking action. If revenue agencies are allowed to arrest people directly, that would be a recipe for chaos, for anarchy,” he warned, arguing that the executive must not assume the powers of both the legislature and judiciary.
Drawing from Nigeria’s political history, Sambo said opposition figures may fear the misuse of tax laws ahead of the 2027 elections. He recalled how tax compliance allegations were previously used to disqualify political opponents, cautioning that similar fears could be driving current resistance to the bill.
While emphasising the importance of taxation, Sambo said public trust was critical. “Yes, it is important for Nigerians to pay taxes and get good governance, but without public trust, taxation will fail,” he said, criticising attempts to frame the controversy as purely partisan.
He urged a holistic and non-partisan resolution of the dispute. “If there are problems, let’s solve them without making it look partisan. It’s not about the Tinubu presidency; it’s about what is good for the Nigerian people,” Sambo said.
Sambo also questioned why the government had not released both the gazetted and harmonised versions of the bill. “The onus is on the government to come to the table. The Ministry of Information, as the official government printer, should simply publish the documents,” he said, noting that transparency would help calm public anxiety.
He disclosed that a presidential adviser had indicated the executive was awaiting the outcome of the House of Representatives’ investigative committee before commenting, but insisted that proactive disclosure would serve the public interest.
Boluwatife Enome
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