Oyedele Dismisses Claims of Secret Tax Law Changes

Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee chairman Taiwo Oyedele has rejected allegations that the tax reform bills signed by President Bola Tinubu were altered after passing the National Assembly. Appearing on a television programme, Oyedele said there is no verified copy of the final gazetted version to compare with the version approved by lawmakers. He noted that a controversial clause cited by critics was only in a draft and does not appear in the official gazette.

Oyedele urged the House of Representatives committee to lead any investigation, emphasizing that the debate has been fueled by media speculation rather than formal findings. The controversy arose after a lawmaker highlighted discrepancies between the bills passed by legislators and the versions later published, prompting calls from civil‑society groups, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party leader Peter Obi for a suspension of the laws.

The government maintains that the reforms are aimed at broadening the tax base and improving revenue collection, and it will continue to engage stakeholders as the implementation proceeds.