As the House of Representatives resumed plenary, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen reaffirmed the chamber’s commitment to reforming Nigeria’s electoral process to make elections more credible, cost-effective, and less contentious.
In his welcome-back address to lawmakers, Speaker Abbas emphasized that one of the core goals of the upcoming legislative agenda is to make elections “less litigious and more reflective of the people’s will.” He also proposed adopting single-day voting to reduce costs and improve efficiency while ensuring that party primaries become more democratic and inclusive.
The Speaker further highlighted two critical legislative proposals that will receive priority attention, the Reserved Seats Bill for Women and the State Police Bill, describing them as essential to strengthening representation and improving national security.
However, the session briefly turned tense when Representative Obinna Aguocha raised a matter of privilege. Aguocha referenced a letter he had previously sent to both the Speaker and President Bola Tinubu regarding the detention and trial of Nnamdi Kanu on terrorism-related charges.
He expressed disappointment over the lack of response from the Speaker’s office, insisting he was acting within the House rules. Speaker Abbas, however, urged Aguocha to step down the motion and engage his office directly on the issue.
The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, later intervened, assuring members that the matter would be formally addressed before the House at a later date.
What you should know
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen’s renewed push for electoral reforms aligns with ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy ahead of future elections.
His prioritization of women’s representation and state policing also reflects the 10th National Assembly’s broader focus on inclusivity and decentralization of security operations.
