Heated confrontation: Ndume, House spokesman clash over tax law probe

Heated confrontation: Ndume, House spokesman clash over tax law probe

 

A harsh verbal clash erupted on Sunday between Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South) and the Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Philip Agbese, over allegations of discrepancies in recently passed tax legislation.

While Agbese accused Ndume of being mischievous in his claim that the tax laws were falsified, Ndume hit back by labelling Agbese “maga dog” and disrespectful, saying he is old enough to be Agbese’s father.

The controversy began after Ndume raised concerns that the version of the tax laws signed by President Bola Tinubu differed from the version passed by the National Assembly.

In a television interview last week, the Borno lawmaker suggested that certain provisions had been altered during harmonisation and gazetting.

Reacting to Ndume’s claims, Agbese told journalists on Sunday in Abuja: “It is sheer mischief to suggest that the tax laws were falsified.”

Agbese dismissed allegations of legislative cover-up, emphasising that all procedures were properly followed and warning that spreading such claims could undermine public confidence in the National Assembly.

“It is wrong for anyone to suggest that lawmakers altered or concealed provisions of the tax laws. Both chambers remain committed to transparency and accountability. The House has already constituted a committee to investigate concerns surrounding the tax legislation, making claims of cover-up or legislative fraud unfounded,” he said.

Ndume, however, described Agbese’s remarks as unfortunate and disrespectful, calling on the House leadership to rein in the deputy spokesman.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Sunday, the senator said:“I call on the leadership of the House to rein in this maga dog. The man who claims to speak for the House should not be a maga dog. Agbese is too junior to take issues with me on a matter that does not affect him directly. He is the deputy spokesman of the House, not the spokesman.”

The senator explained that the controversy is still under review by a committee led by Muktar Betara.

“Only the Betara-led panel has the locus standi to declare, after investigation, that there is no difference between the version passed by parliament and that which was subsequently gazetted,” Ndume said.

He added that Agbese’s comments reflect inexperience and an attempt to curry favour with House leadership,

“Agbese is forgiven on the grounds of inexperience. He is a first-timer. I was in the House in 2003 when he was probably in secondary school. For him to disrespectfully come out to say that my statement is mischievous is very unfortunate. If he has the guts to say that I am mischievous, it means he can tell his father the same thing. At 66, if I’m not old enough to be his father, I am close to that. My first daughter is 42 years old.”

Ndume stressed that his criticisms were procedural, not personal:

“I did not insult anybody. I cross-checked the votes and proceedings, clause by clause, before I said that there were some flaws. If the harmonised version says ‘this shall be,’ and the gazetted copy says ‘this will be,’ these are two different things, subject to interpretation.”

The senator accused Agbese of acting on personal motives, seeking approval from House leadership.

“I understand the dirty jobs he is doing. He is hoping to find himself in the good books of the leadership of the House, but he has only succeeded in embarrassing himself and the House of Representatives. He is not speaking for the House because the House has yet to take a position on this matter. I insist that parliament should do a comparison and examine the sections of both versions of the Tax Acts section by section. This way, Nigerians will be comfortable,” Ndume said.

Agbese, however, maintained that the focus on alleged falsification is misplaced.

“It is sheer mischief to suggest the tax laws were falsified. This is exactly why the House set up a committee to clarify the facts. Nigerians should not be misled into thinking that lawmakers are acting in bad faith. Lawmaking must be grounded in facts and due process. Speculative narratives could distract from ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s tax system in the public interest,” Agbese said.

The tax legislation controversy first gained attention late last year when members of the National Assembly, including Ndume and House member Abdussamad Dasuki, raised concerns about discrepancies between versions circulated during plenary sessions and those transmitted for presidential assent.

Both lawmakers called for independent verification to safeguard legislative integrity.

While leadership of the Senate and House has repeatedly maintained that the bills passed through due process, the creation of the House committee underscores the need for thorough review and transparency.

The investigation is expected to clarify whether differences arose during harmonisation, gazetting, or transmission of the legislation.