Minority Caucus Sets Up Committee to Probe Alleged Forged Tax Laws
The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has constituted a seven-member fact-finding committee to investigate allegations that forged versions of recently enacted tax reform laws were gazetted by elements within the executive branch.
In a statement issued Friday, January 2, 2026 in Abuja, the caucus leadership said the decision followed wide consultations and exhaustive internal deliberations over claims that alterations were made to the tax bills after they were passed by the National Assembly and signed by the President.
According to the caucus, the committee will independently verify the facts, in line with its oversight role and responsibility to Nigerians.
The panel is mandated to obtain copies of the tax laws as passed by both chambers, compare them with the versions assented to by the President, and scrutinize the versions reportedly published in the Federal Government Gazette. It is also expected to recommend possible actions if any infractions are confirmed.
The committee is chaired by Hon. Afam Ogene, with members Hon. Gaza Gbefwi Jonathan, Hon. MB Shehu Fagge, Hon. Aliyu Garu, Hon. Stanley Adedeji, Hon. Ibe Okwara, and Hon. Marie Ibikake. It has seven days to submit its report to the caucus leadership.
Reaffirming its commitment to accountability, the Minority Caucus said the probe aims to “get to the root” of a controversy that has unsettled the nation’s political space and to ensure Nigerians — particularly the poor and vulnerable — are not short-changed.
The statement was jointly signed by Minority Leader Rep. O.K. Chinda, Minority Whip Rt. Hon. Ali Isa, Deputy Minority Leader Rt. Hon. Aliyu Madaki, and Deputy Minority Whip Rt. Hon. George Ozodinobi.
Full text of the Minority Caucus statement:
THE LEADERSHIP OF THE MINORITY CAUCUS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SETS UP A FACT-FINDING COMMITTEE ON THE ALLEGED GAZETTING OF FORGED TAX LAWS BY ELEMENTS IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF GOVERNMENT!
Friday, January 2, 2026
Abuja, Nigeria
We wish to inform our members that after due consultations with relevant stakeholders and after making very deep and exhaustive deliberations amongst us on the unending controversy over the allegations of unlawful alterations made to the tax reform laws passed by the National Assembly and signed by the President, as well as the alleged gazetting of the forged version of the laws, we, the leadership of the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives, have instituted a 7-man fact-finding committee to help our Caucus get to the bottom of all the issues surrounding this scandal.
As the opposition bloc in the House of Representatives, we believe that we owe it to Nigerians to make our own independent investigations, which the laws even permit us to do, so that we can establish all the facts and arrive at the truth in the matter. This committee has the mandate of:
1. Getting copies of the actual tax laws passed by both Chambers of the National Assembly;
2. Obtaining the copies of the actual tax laws that were signed by the President;
3. Getting the federal government gazette bearing the forged version of the tax laws;
4. Scrutinizing copies of the actual tax laws passed by the National Assembly to ascertain if they were the actual ones signed by the President, and then compare them with the ones gazetted by the gazetting agency of the federal government;
5. And recommending to the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives the possible actions that can be taken in the event any infractions have been proven to have occurred.
The membership of the committee is as follows:
1. Hon. Afam Ogene (Chairman)
2. Hon. Gaza Gbefwi Jonathan
3. Hon. MB Shehu Fagge
4. Hon. Aliyu Garu
5. Hon. Stanley Adedeji
6. Hon. Ibe Okwara
7. Hon. Marie Ibikake
The committee has seven (7) days within which it will complete its assignment and report its findings to the leadership of the Caucus.
Finally, we want to remind Nigerians of our unflinching commitment to the protection of their interests, and this step we have just taken is one of the ways we are using to get to the root of this controversy that has overheated our polity. We are determined, more than ever, to make sure our country’s citizens are not short-changed, especially the poor and vulnerable segments of our populations.
Rep. O.K Chinda
Minority Leader
Rt. Hon. Ali Isa J.C, PhD
Minority Whip
Rt. Hon. Aliyu Madaki
Deputy Minority Leader
Rt. Hon. George Ozodinobi
Deputy Minority Whip
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