An economic expert at Bayero University, Kano, Professor Kabiru Isah Dandago, has stated that the Federal Government can lawfully proceed with the implementation of the newly signed tax reform laws despite objections raised by some members of the House of Representatives.

Professor Dandago made this assertion during an exclusive interview with Daily Post, where he maintained that the tax laws remain valid following their passage by the National Assembly and subsequent signing into law.

According to him, protests or objections raised by lawmakers after the bills have been passed and signed do not invalidate the laws.

“Despite their protest after the fact, the tax laws still stand,” he said.

The remarks by the university don come amid growing controversy surrounding the implementation of the new tax laws across the country.

The controversy was sparked after a member of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki, alleged that there were discrepancies between the versions of the tax laws passed by the National Assembly and those later gazetted and released to the public.

Dasuki claimed that the gazetted laws did not accurately reflect what lawmakers debated and approved during legislative proceedings.

Responding to the concerns, Professor Dandago explained that alarm should only be raised if any section of the laws is proven to have a negative impact on the livelihoods of Nigerians.

“It remains unclear what these discrepancies are, where the issue lies is if there is some clause inserted in the law that will affect the livelihood of the masses negatively, but so far, nothing has been brought forth as such,” Dandago said.

He further argued that lawmakers who believe there are serious flaws in the laws should provide concrete evidence to justify a formal review process.

“If the Representatives are serious, then they should get their facts ready so that a review can be done,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has also called on the Federal Government to suspend the implementation of the tax laws.

The caucus cited alleged alterations to the versions of the bills passed by the National Assembly as the basis for its demand.

The call for suspension followed comments by the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele.

Oyedele had insisted that the implementation date of January 1, 2026, for the Nigerian Tax Act and the Nigerian Tax Administration Act remains unchanged despite the ongoing controversy.