The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has raised alarm over what it describes as discrepancies between tax reform bills passed by the National Assembly and the versions later gazetted and presented to the public, warning that the alleged alterations could undermine Nigeria’s constitutional order.

The Council’s statement followed concerns raised in the House of Representatives by Abdulsamad Dasuki, who alleged that clauses not debated or approved by lawmakers appeared in the final tax laws signed by the President.

In a statement signed by Secretary General Nafiu Baba-Ahmad, the SCSN stressed that any deviation from due legislative process is unacceptable, given the profound impact of tax reforms on Nigerians, businesses, and social and religious obligations.

The Council said:

“Such action, if established, amounts to tampering with the sovereign will of the Nigerian people and undermines the foundation of constitutional governance.”

The SCSN urged the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Tajuddeen Abbas, and the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to ensure a transparent examination of the claims before the tax laws take effect on January 1, 2026. It called for an open comparison between the harmonised bills passed by both chambers and the gazetted versions to determine the nature, extent, and implications of any alleged alterations.

Warning of serious consequences, the Council said that unauthorized changes could erode public trust, invite constitutional challenges, trigger economic uncertainty, and deter investors, while setting a precedent that laws could become negotiable rather than binding outcomes of democratic deliberation.

The Council emphasised that tax laws require strict constitutional fidelity, insisting that Nigerians cannot be expected to comply with laws whose authenticity is in doubt. It called for urgent, sincere, and transparent action to safeguard constitutional order and protect institutional credibility.

“Nigeria’s democracy must not be undermined by executive overreach or procedural shortcuts. The will of the people, as expressed through the National Assembly, must be respected and defended,” the Council added.