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By Musa Abdullahi Krishi
Since assuming the leadership of the 10th House of Representatives on June 13, 2023, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D., GCON, has demonstrated phenomenal leadership. This is no surprise to anyone who knows him intimately and interacts with him regularly. Calm, highly collected, measured, and humble, Speaker Abbas can be described as being sedate in his approach to leadership and life in general.
No sooner had he taken office than he set the machinery for effective leadership in motion. In our clime, for any Assembly to have a smooth sail, its leadership must tread carefully in constituting the standing committees of Parliament, else the entire four years will be unbearable. This was the first litmus test for Speaker Abbas, but he navigated it with ease. On Thursday, July 27, 2023, the Speaker announced the leadership of 134 standing committees—later reviewed upward for effective delivery. This was accomplished without any bitterness among his colleagues. With the standing committees in place, the House hit the ground running in earnest.
Working with the other leaders of the House, the Speaker came up with an ambitious Legislative Agenda, which centres around eight thematic areas: Social Sector Reform and Development; Economic Reform and Development; Strengthening Good Governance; Law Reform; Enhancing National Security; Climate and Environment; Inclusion and Open Parliament, and Foreign Policy. Significant progress has been made in these crucial areas of the Legislative Agenda.
Speaker Abbas Tajudeen also introduced several initiatives and reforms in the House. One remarkable instance was an unprecedented collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), culminating in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that established the Parliamentary Development Programme (PDP). The initiative is focused on enhancing the capabilities of lawmakers, legislative aides, and management staff.
Speaker Abbas’ commitment also attracted support and partnership from the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN), National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), YIAGA Africa, Ford Foundation, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), among others.
It is also a credit to Speaker Abbas that the House organizes annual youth town halls and live State of the House engagements with citizens. From the outset, the Speaker committed to opening the House to Nigerians, and he has remained true to that promise by instituting an annual Open Week starting in July 2024.
A wonderful innovation the Speaker introduced is the use of an interpreter at plenary sessions to interpret the proceedings of the House for those who are hard of hearing.
For three years, the Speaker has successfully maintained a stable and peaceful House. But this didn’t come by chance. Historically, since the beginning of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, the 10th House has been the most diverse in terms of party representation. Therefore, diverse interests are to be expected—and occasionally, conflicts are inevitable. Up until now, no notable or recognized case of discord within the House has posed a threat to its peace. How has the Speaker achieved this?
First, as both a prince of the Zazzau Emirate and a teacher, the Speaker made it clear from the outset that he would maintain an open-door policy as a leader. Thus far, his approach has been characterized by openness and transparency. He lays all his cards on the table for all to see. His sense of accountability is unmatched. He believes that dialogue is the key to resolving issues. His royal background makes the politics of give-and-take an easy task for him. His experience as a teacher has also influenced and shaped his perspective and approach to managing people.
To promote inclusion within the House, the Speaker established zonal caucuses for the six geopolitical zones, as well as state and party caucuses. There are also special interest caucuses such as the women’s caucus and youth caucus. The Speaker occasionally meets with these caucuses to discuss issues of concern. Through intermittent meetings, the caucuses often deliberate on issues of interest. Their existence makes the business of the House on the floor seamless.
One area where the Speaker’s leadership skills have clearly been evident over the past three years is in fostering a cordial relationship between the House and the Executive branch. Speaker Abbas firmly believes that for the country to achieve meaningful development, the Legislature and the Executive must collaborate harmoniously while preserving their constitutionally guaranteed independence. Striking a balance between the two arms is a Herculean task, yet the speaker has made it effortless.
A case in point was when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, transmitted the four tax bills—now Tax Acts—to the National Assembly in October 2024. Numerous lawmakers expressed initial misgivings, with insinuations regarding the intention of the then-draft legislation. Tension filled the air. Some Members poised for a showdown. In fact, a number of them spoke to the media about their readiness to “kill” the bills.
Even governors were not left out, as a lot of them quietly expressed reservations about the tax bills. That was the moment Speaker Abbas displayed his shrewdness and wisdom. He literally put sleep on hold during that time. One after the other, he met the governors to allay their fears. He also engaged with them collectively through various forums. He offered them his assurances. Eventually, he secured their buy-in. One thing was certain: the governors recognized the Speaker as a man of integrity and placed their trust in him. Speaker Abbas engaged not just the governors but other stakeholders as well. Remarkably, he had the President’s backing to have such an interface.
Back in the House, the Speaker met with his colleagues through their caucuses. From North-West to North-East to North-Central to South-West to South-South and to South-East, the Speaker made himself available. He listened to everyone and assured them that their concerns would be accommodated. They trusted him, as they always did.
In the end, the tax bills were thoroughly examined, and adjustments were made where necessary. Everything unfolded after the Second Reading of the draft legislation on February 13, 2025. When the tax bills returned to the floor of the House in March 2025, they passed Third Reading without a dissenting voice. On May 28, the House adopted the version of the conference committee it had earlier constituted to meet with its Senate counterpart and harmonize the positions of the two chambers. It was indeed a historic moment for the House and Speaker Abbas Tajudeen.
The Speaker got accolades from some of his colleagues for the purposeful leadership he provided during the period. “I want to thank your leadership for the role you played in making these bills a success,” said Hon. Ahmed Jaha from Borno State on the floor of the House after lawmakers adopted the conference committee’s report.
Another thorny issue on which the Speaker’s dexterity was on display was the State Police Bill. In June 2026, the House passed its version of the state police bill as part of the constitution review process. However, by July, President Tinubu submitted the Executive version, prompting the House to overturn its previously approved version. Some members appeared unhappy and were ready to block the passage of the Executive version. Again, the Speaker met with his colleagues individually and collectively to persuade them. The House eventually passed the Executive arm’s State Police Bill on July 23, 2026, with 311 Members voting in its favour.
What many outside the National Assembly might not realize is that despite his demanding role as Speaker, which seldom affords him the luxury of time for other pursuits, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen still manages to sponsor bills. As of now, he has approximately 70 bills to his name, spanning from June 2023 to the present. Remember, before becoming Speaker, he set—and still holds—the record as the first and only legislator in Nigeria’s democratic history to sponsor 74 bills during a four-year term, with 22 of those bills becoming law.
Although Speaker Abbas is the sole sponsor of many of the bills, some are co-sponsored with other lawmakers. Twenty-one of the bills have passed Third Reading, 24 have been referred to committees, 18 are awaiting second reading, and four have been consolidated. Significantly, one of his Bills – Nigerian Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Bill – was recently signed into law by President Tinubu.
Most importantly, Speaker Abbas has attracted hundreds of people-centered projects to his Zaria Federal Constituency in the past three years. One notable project is the Zaria Education City, home to several federal tertiary institutions, including the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) — Zaria Campus, the Federal College of Education, the Federal College of Nursing and Health Sciences, the Federal College of Agriculture, the Federal Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Institute, and the Federal Technical College.
In one fell swoop, Speaker Abbas disbursed a total sum of N5 billion scholarships to 30,000 students in tertiary institutions, with 7,000 beneficiaries from Kaduna State, while others came from Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara states. Facilitated through the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN), the amount per student ranged from 200,000 to 800,000.
In the health sector, Speaker Abbas built and fully equipped several 20-bed hospitals in Zaria Federal Constituency as well as in some local government areas within the Zone 1 Senatorial District of Kaduna State. He has also provided several health-related interventions, including free medical outreaches to patients in need. There’s also a 100-bed Renewed Hope Hospital, which he attracted.
Arguably, the Speaker’s most significant contribution in Zaria is human capital development. He has distributed numerous empowerment materials, including agricultural tools to support farming, vehicles to deserving constituents, tricycles and motorcycles to various beneficiaries, and startup funds for small-scale traders, youth, and women. Additionally, he has trained many constituents in acquiring diverse skills. Thousands of constituents also benefited from various interventions, including sewing machines, deep freezers, and more.
Having been a teacher, Speaker Abbas did not lose sight of his origins. He committed to supporting the teachers in his constituency, and so far, over 3,000 have benefited from motorcycles and other initiatives he provided. Occasionally, he distributes rice and other food items to both the teachers and various members of his constituency.
The traditional institutions were not overlooked, as the Speaker constructed and renovated residences for the district heads throughout Zaria and the entire Zazzau Emirate. He also supplied operational vehicles to traditional rulers in Kaduna State and throughout the six geopolitical zones to support their daily leadership activities at the grassroots level.
Regarding infrastructure, the Speaker developed numerous roads, constructed several bridges, and modernized multiple markets in Zaria, in addition to establishing new skills acquisition and ICT training centres. He also supported security agencies by renovating their facilities and supplying them with operational vehicles. Speaker Abbas equally secured countless job slots for his constituents at different federal agencies. The Speaker’s comprehensive interventions in Zaria and beyond is a topic for another day.
Indeed, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen has demonstrated impactful leadership throughout the past three years.
• Krishi is the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, House of Representatives.
