Press Statement from the Office of the Speaker, House of Representatives
July 8, 2025
Open Week: Speaker Abbas reels out Green Chamber's achievements in two years
...Speaker making history - ex-Presiding Officers
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D, GCON, Tuesday, reeled out the achievements of the Green Chamber in two years during its second Open Week, marking the two years in office of members of the 10th Assembly.
It was an opportunity to present to Nigerians, the Midterm Legislative Scorecard of the 10th House, during which the chambers were opened to the citizens and the lawmakers explained their legislative activities to the people.
At the opening ceremony, Abbas Tajudeen said the decision to hold the session inside the hallowed chambers of the House was for direct interaction between the legislators and Nigerians to inform the citizens on the lawmakers' activities.
He said the parliament has acted on the feedback from stakeholders on various legislative activities.
At the ceremony were the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, GCON, former Speakers Femi Gbajabiamila, CFR, Yakubu Dogara, and Patricia Olubunmi Etteh; the Emir of Zazzau, His Royal Highness, Amb. Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, members of the diplomatic corps and the academia.
Also in attendance were the Executive Secretary, National Assembly Library Trust Fund, Hon. Henry Nwawuba; civil society and non-governmental organisations (CSOs & NGOs), representatives of the Armed Forces and paramilitary organisations, students, and members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), among others.
The Speaker emphasised that the midterm scorecard being presented serves as “both a mirror and a compass,” saying it shows “our progress, acknowledges our shortcomings, and guides our course for the remaining two years.”
He stated that the House will “intensify our legislative work, bolster oversight, deepen public engagement, and advance reforms that strengthen governance, promote inclusive development, and safeguard our democracy.”
Speaker Abbas said: “Our efforts to build capacity and engage citizens have been unprecedented. We held national and regional town hall meetings on critical legislation, convened numerous town halls, including those for women and youths, to gather stakeholder input, and invited memoranda from experts and communities.
“We have additionally included citizens’ perceptions in this midterm scorecard. Recognising that public trust in government institutions has often been low, we conducted opinion surveys and town hall feedback sessions to gauge satisfaction with our work. The findings reveal a notable willingness among Nigerians to engage constructively with the legislature.
“We acknowledge the criticisms raised, ranging from the pace of bill passage to the depth of oversight, and have acted on this feedback by streamlining our committee procedures and increasing transparency in hearings. Including this candid assessment demonstrates that the House is not afraid of constructive criticism and is committed to continuous improvement.”
Speaker Abbas noted that the programme reflects the lawmakers’ commitment to an open parliament that listens and responds to citizens. He said from Tuesday, July 8, to Thursday, July 10, the House will host thematic sessions and interactive events designed to deepen engagement.
While Tuesday allowed participants to discuss nutrition and food security with experts from government, civil society, and development partners, Speaker Abbas said Wednesday would feature the special seat bill dialogue on women’s representation, a forum on the constitutional role of traditional rulers, and an afternoon session on the economy and citizen participation.
He added that Thursday’s agenda would include workshops on youth involvement in politics, live media interactions with leadership, and a closing dinner. He invited civil society, academia, the private sector, and the public to attend, share insights, and help strengthen our legislative process.
Speaker Abbas said: “Today, as we launch the mid-term legislative scorecard of the 10th House of Representatives, we recognise that this is a critical moment in our tenure. Two years ago, Nigerians entrusted us with their aspirations, and since then, we have pursued transparency, inclusion, and accountability in all our actions.
“In developing our eight-point legislative agenda for 2023-2027, we consulted widely with government ministries, civil society, and development partners. We aligned our priorities with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while preserving the constitutional separation of powers and our oversight functions. Collaborative governance has guided our work.
“We have maintained a respectful partnership with the Executive while asserting the autonomy of the legislature whenever required.”
The Speaker also disclosed that in the first two sessions, the House introduced 2,263 bills. Among these, 1,478 have gone through Second Reading, 135 are awaiting further consideration, and 339 have been referred to Standing Committees. He added that five bills were negatived, reflecting rigorous legislative debate.
He further disclosed that member-sponsored bills accounted for 2,204 of the total, with 26 Executive bills and 33 emanating from the Senate for concurrence. He noted that these figures indicate a steady upward trend since 1999, “highlighting an ever-growing legislative capacity and competence.”
As of June 30, 2025, Speaker Abbas said the House has passed 237 bills and forwarded them for presidential assent, of which 55 have been signed into law.
The Speaker explained that the legislative backlog includes bills awaiting Senate or presidential approval, such as the Oath Act (Repeal and Enactment) Bill, which modernises oath administration laws; the Federal Fire and Rescue Service Bill, to improve emergency response; and the Federal Audit Service (Amendment) Bill, which enhances transparency.
Others are the Administration of Criminal Justice Act Bill, which aims to modernise criminal justice processes.
At the same time, he mentioned amendments to security and anti-corruption laws that seek to improve coordination, update mandates, and strengthen measures against financial crimes.
Speaker Abbas stated that the House’s use of motions has increased in tandem with our legislative output, as members sponsored 1,100 motions in two years, over 36 per cent of which addressed matters of urgent public importance.
“These motions have triggered swift executive action on flood disasters, public health emergencies, and citizen grievances,” he stated, adding that “The record number and scope of our motions illustrate our heightened responsiveness.”
By June 2025, the Speaker said committees held over 1,000 meetings and visited more than 300 sites. He added that they monitored over 200 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) and carefully examined policies and spending to ensure they align with the expectations of the people.
Regarding constitutional reform, Speaker Abbas said the House is considering 109 amendment bills across various sectors, including electoral, judicial, legislative, and inclusive governance. Of these, he noted, 12 electoral reform bills address the scheduling of all general elections on a single day, establish independent candidacy, and create a dedicated commission for local government elections.
According to the Speaker, judicial reforms encompass 21 bills designed to streamline appellate processes and strengthen judicial independence.
He said: “A central feature of our inclusive governance proposals is the introduction of constitutionally guaranteed reserved seats for women and persons with disabilities. Under the draft amendment, ten per cent (10%) of seats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives would be set aside for women, apportioned by the state to ensure regional balance.
“These seats would be filled through direct elections on separate ballots, with staggered terms to promote continuity and mentorship. Five per cent (5%) of seats would be reserved for persons with disabilities, with candidates nominated by accredited disability advocacy organisations. Reserved-seat representatives would enjoy the same rights, privileges, and committee assignments as their peers, reinforcing their full integration into legislative work.”
The Speaker added: “By embedding reserved seats into our Constitution, we will break the cycle of stagnation. This mechanism will accelerate progress towards gender parity, enrich our legislative debates with diverse perspectives, and ensure that the National Assembly truly reflects the people it serves. The 10th House will pursue vigorous collaboration with the State Houses of Assembly and all stakeholders to ensure that the bill on the reserved seat is passed and becomes part of our constitution.”
Speaker Abbas stated that executive-legislative cooperation remains essential, while thanking President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his “steadfast support of the legislature, for consulting the National Assembly on key policy matters, and for respecting our input throughout the legislative process.”
In his remarks, the Senate President said contrary to the criticism that the National Assembly is a rubberstamp to the Executive Arm of the government, the parliament scrutinises plans, policies, and programmes of the current administration.
Senator Akpabio also appreciated the cordial relationship between him and Speaker Abbas.
Making reference to the embargo the House placed on consideration of bills from the Senate last week, Senator Akpabio said the Senate has resolved to accelerate concurrence on bills passed by the House. He particularly stated that the Senate has commenced consideration of the bills and would devote the coming weeks to their passage.
On the ‘Open Week’ initiative, the Senate President said: “We are very proud that the House is taking the lead and the Senate will follow. Thereafter, we will consider doing it together on a yearly basis.”
Speaking on the topic, 'Reflections on the Growth of the House of Representatives since 1999,' the Speaker of 9th Assembly and Chief of Staff to the President, Rt Hon. Gbajabiamila, noted that since Nigeria returned to democracy 26 years ago, generations of members of the National Assembly and, indeed, in state legislatures across the country, have done “the complicated and often thankless job of building that legislative tradition.”
He added that these legislative houses have accomplished this task “without a roadmap, while navigating the unique realities of our political and cultural landscape.”
Before 1999, the former Speaker recalled that the country’s last experiment with legislative governance ended in 1993, and before then, in 1983. As such, he said, there wasn’t much of an institutional memory to learn from; the conventions of parliamentary practice and procedure were a new experience.
Gbajabiamila said: “The ongoing efforts by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to restore a system of robust local government administration, built on adequate financing, independence, transparency, and accountability, are critical to the future of the national parliament and must be supported by all who have served and continue to serve in this institution.
“In advanced democracies worldwide, many of the quality-of-life issues that affect citizens daily are the responsibility of local governments. Everything from waste management to the regulation of local commerce, basic education, healthcare, and even community policing and security are local government functions.
“When local governments have the resources and independence to function as the constitution intended, then legislators are freed to legislate, develop policy, advocate for the greater good, and hold the executive to account. It is time to let legislators be legislators as God and the Constitution of our republic intended.
“If we cannot agree on the place of the local governments in our political system, and if we cannot collectively undertake to do what is necessary to ensure that the local government institution has the political and financial independence, and the administrative capacity to function optimally, then we must consider alternatives to formalise the additional duties that have now become the responsibility of the legislators.”
He added: “The current system, which forces legislators to spend more time seeking and pursuing resource opportunities to meet constituency needs and expectations rather than developing the capacities required to be effective as lawmakers, legislative advocates, policymakers, and overseers of the public purse, as the constitution demands, is untenable in the long term.
“If we expect legislators to provide social services in their localities, then, perhaps it is time for a national conversation to ensure our constitution reflects this, and the necessary resources are made available in a structured and efficient manner, allowing for transparency and accountability.”
The Chief of Staff to the President emphasised that a democracy without a strong legislature and a robust legislative tradition is a promise deferred.
In their separate remarks, Dogara and Etteh hailed Speaker Abbas for introducing far-reaching reforms in the House, saying he is making history in a positive way.
Etteh particularly remarked that the Speaker is the best in the history of Nigeria's democracy.
Dogara, on his part, singled out the efforts of the 10th House in the area of citizens' engagements, commendinng the Speaker for his many people-oriented initiatives.
Signed:
Musa Abdullahi Krishi
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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