The House of Representatives has dismissed the move by its minority caucus to set up an ad-hoc committee investigating alleged changes to recently enacted tax laws, describing the action as lacking legitimacy and procedural authority.
House spokesman, Akin Rotimi, in a statement on Sunday, acknowledged the minority caucus’ right to dissent and raise concerns but stressed that such initiatives must be distinguished from formal parliamentary processes. “No political caucus, whether majority or minority, possesses the procedural authority to establish a committee that carries the status of a parliamentary body,” he said.
Rotimi explained that under the Standing Orders of the House, only the Speaker or the House in plenary can constitute ad-hoc committees. He added that caucus-led bodies have no investigative powers, oversight jurisdiction, or authority to summon individuals or demand official documents. “Any action taken by a caucus in this regard is therefore non-binding, informal, and without legal or institutional consequence,” he noted.
He recalled that in December 2025, the House had already formed a bipartisan ad-hoc committee chaired by Muktar Betara to examine concerns raised by opposition lawmaker Abdussamad Dasuki about multiple versions of tax legislation gazettes. That committee, he said, remains active and will present its findings to the House in plenary.
Rotimi emphasized that the National Assembly has since published the official gazette and issued certified copies of the tax laws, giving them full legal effect. He warned that the minority caucus’ parallel committee and interim report only risked confusing the public. “For the avoidance of doubt, only committees constituted by the House in plenary or by the Speaker have parliamentary authority,” he concluded, reaffirming the legislature’s commitment to transparency and accountability within constitutional and procedural limits.