From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives had a fairly good run in 2024. From the introduction of some audacious bills to the adoption of motions to address pressing national issues, there were no dull moments in the Green chamber.
The Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, at the resumption of legislative business in January, had noted that the parliament in 2024 will work towards the pursuit of its 8-point legislative agenda. The House, had in 2023, adopted a legislative agenda to guide legislations in 8-thematic areas.
The thematic areas include strengthening good governance, improving national security, law reform and economic growth and development. Others are social sector reform and development, inclusion and open parliament, influencing and directing foreign policy, as well as climate change and environmental sustainability.
Therefore, Abbas, while welcoming members back from the 2023 Christmas break, on January 31, noted the Green chamber would prioritise security, constitutional reforms, and citizens engagements among others in 2024, in line with its Legislative Agenda.
According to him, “as we proceed with our legislative duties, our priorities are clear. With our Legislative Agenda set for ourselves, we intend to achieve significant mileage towards actualising the targets across the eight thematic areas. In the area of security, the most important challenge before us is to overhaul and strengthen the security architecture to improve overall effectiveness.
“In the area of constitutional alteration, our Agenda identifies key areas of interest for the House, including streamlining the procedure for constitutional alteration by enacting a Constitutional Alteration Procedure law to provide a timeline for the passage of the Constitution alteration bills by the National Assembly and adoption by State Houses of Assembly.”
Like in the previous years, the issues bordering on security, featured prominently in the House, in the outgoing year. Also, the House, considered bills seeking to make fundamental changes to the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which is currently being reviewed.
Key bills considered by the House
In 2024, the House introduced a number of very audacious bills seeking alteration of the 1999 Constitution. While some of the bills scaled through second reading and are before the Constitution Review Committee (CRC), others were rejected by the House.
The Constitution alterations bills introduced in the House, in 2024, include the bill for state Police, bill to raise the minimal educational qualifications for elective offices from secondary school certificate to first degree or its equivalent, and bill for single tenure of six years/ rotation of presidency, governorship and local government chairmanship.
Others are bill to make it mandatory for presidential candidates to secure absolute majority of votes cast to be declared winner, bill to set a timeline for the passage of Constitution alteration bills, and a bill to return the country to a parliamentary system of government, as well as bill to create special seats for women in both the national and state assemblies.
There is also the proposed legislation for a five-year tenure for the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), and other heads of Courts in the country, and the bills for the decentralisation of the Supreme Court. Both bills are sponsored by the member representing Darazo/ Ganjuwa Federal Constituency of Bauchi, Manu Soro.
Already, the bill for the decentralisation of the police, as captured under item 2 of the House Legislative Agenda, as well as the bill proposing special legislative seats for women, which falls under item 6 of the Legislative Agenda. have passed second reading. The two bills have the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu as lead sponsor.
Similarly, a bill sponsored by the Speaker and Sodeeq Abdullahi, to alter the Electoral Act to afford Nigerians in Diaspora opportunities to vote during election in the country was also passed for second reading.
The constitution alterations, according to their sponsors, are geared towards improving security in the country, as well as addressing gender concerns and the deepening democracy.
The House, equally, passed the bills for the establishment of South East Development Commission (SEDC), and the North West Development Commission (NWDC). While both bills have been assented to by President Bola Tinubu, proposed legislations for the other regional development agencies are also pending before the parliament.
The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, noted that the passage of the SEDC bills is a big milestone, which will address the developmental challenges confronting the South East geo-political zone.
Efforts to push the SEDC bill through in the eight and ninth assembly had been unsuccessful. Therefore, Kalu considers the eventual passage and assent to the legislation as “a legislative victory.”
According to him, “it is a historic milestone for the South-East geopolitical zone. The commission will receive and manage funds from the allocation of the Federation Account for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads, houses, and other infrastructural damages suffered by the zone as a result of the civil war.
“It will also tackle ecological problems and other related environmental or developmental challenges in the South-East States, including Abia, Imo, Enugu, Anambra, and Ebonyi.”
However, the bill for six- years Single tenure/ rotational presidency, which has the member representing Ideato Federal Constituency of Imo State, Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, as lead sponsor, as well as the bill seeking absolute majority votes by presidential candidates, before they can be declared, which was sponsored by Iwaji-Inombek Abiante, were rejected by the parliament before their sponsors had opportunity to lead debate on their general principles.
The bill to raise the minimum educational qualifications for elective offices was stepped down by the sponsor, Adewunmi Onanuga, for further consultation, owing to opposition against the proposed legislation. While the bill for return to parliamentary system of government, which is sponsored by the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda and 59 others is awaiting second reading.
Citizens’ engagement
Pundits say one area the House gained plaudits in the outgoing year was in its citizens’ engagements initiatives. In the course of the year, the House stepped up its citizens’ engagements initiatives, to get the inputs of the public into key proposed legislations before the parliament.
In all, the Green chamber, apart from its Open Week, where select constituents were invited to interact with lawmakers, held no fewer than six citizens’ engagements to interact with citizens, as well as get their inputs into pending bills before the parliaments. These included the National Dialogue on State Policing, the National Discourse on Nigerian Security Challenges, a retreat on the effective implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act, Tax reform modernisation dialogues, the Citizens’ Town Hall on the 2024 Appropriation Bill, and the pre-legislative presentation of tax reform bills.
Also, prior to the End Bad Governance nationwide protests, in August 2024, the House, apart from adopting a motion to donate half of the salaries of members for six months, so as to cushion the hardship of citizens, convened a dialogue session with youth group.
Abbas says the parliament appreciates the place of citizen participation in a democracy, hence, its recourse to constant citizens’ engagements.
According to him, “the 10th House of Representatives has been committed to running an open House that actively incorporates citizens’ input in lawmaking and oversight processes. We have made concerted efforts to listen to the voices of our constituents and reflect their aspirations in our legislative activities.
“Through town hall meetings, public hearings, and stakeholder engagements, we have ensured that the legislative process remains inclusive and participatory. This approach not only enhances the quality of our laws but also ensures that our decisions are rooted in the genuine needs and desires of the Nigerian people. No chamber of the National Assembly has undertaken such an initiative,” the Speaker added.
He further said “the 10th House is aptly called the ‘people’s House’. As such, we recognise that improved citizens’ engagement is vital for fostering a participatory democracy. Therefore, we will enhance avenues for citizens to engage with the legislative process actively, provide input on policy decisions, and hold their representatives accountable.”
Low points
Nevertheless, critics say the major drawback for the House, in 2024, was its inability to ensure compliance by the Executive with its motions, especially those on security. The House, in May adopted a motion by the minority leader, Honourable Chinda to compile all its resolutions on security and send to the Executive arm of government, what followed after the resolution was however unclear to the members of the public.
Chinda, had noted that “unless the House of Representatives matches its resolutions with actions, the faith that the citizens have in the House will wane, and more Nigerians will continue to suffer the negative effects of insecurity in all sectors of the economy.”
2024 also witnessed the defection of members of the opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). In all, eight members of the opposition, including six lawmakers elected on the platform of the Labour Party (LP) and two members from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cross-carpeted to the APC.
The defection generated diverse reactions, with the opposition describing the action as a violation of Section 68(1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution ( as amended), which prescribed condition on which members of the legislature can defect to another political party.