Minority Caucus Lacks Power To Probe Tax Legislation – HOR

The House of Representatives has dismissed claims that the Minority Caucus had set up an adhoc committee to investigate recently passed tax laws, insisting that such a body has no standing under parliamentary rules.

In a statement in Abuja, by the House Spokesperson, Mr Akintunde, the House said only lawmakers sitting in plenary or the Speaker can establish an ad hoc committee, in line with the Standing Orders governing legislative procedure.

He explained that although the House acknowledged the role of political caucuses in expressing dissent and shaping debate, it said they have no authority to conduct investigations, summon officials or submit reports for consideration by parliament.

The House warned that any report produced by a caucus-led body could not be laid before lawmakers or form part of the official legislative record.

It added that the matter had already been addressed through formal channels noting that in December 2025, a bipartisan ad hoc committee was constituted by the House to examine allegations of discrepancies in documents related to the tax legislation, following concerns raised by an opposition lawmaker.

That committee, which includes members of both the ruling and opposition parties, is still carrying out its work and is expected to report back to the House in plenary.

The National Assembly has since published the official gazette of the tax laws and issued certified copies, dismissing any other documents in circulation as unofficial.

The House said the creation of a parallel caucus-led committee risked causing unnecessary public confusion and stressed that only committees authorised by the House or the Speaker should be regarded as official parliamentary bodies.

Reaffirming the House’s commitment to transparency and accountability, the spokesperson stressed that such objectives must be pursued strictly within constitutional and procedural frameworks.

“For the avoidance of doubt, only committees constituted by the House in plenary or by the Speaker have parliamentary authority,” he said, advising the public to regard any other committee or report as a political initiative rather than an official action of the House of Representatives.

PR Oduyemi Odumade