By Aaron Ossai
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen has said that a midterm review of its activities reveals that the House has been the most productive since 1999 both in terms of legislative outputs and outcomes.
Welcoming members from the 2025 annual recess yesterday, the Speaker said despite political and economic challenges, the House has strengthened internal capacity, updated its rules and expanded citizen participation.
“We have deepened public engagement through the House Open Week, town halls, media briefings, and the use of digital and new media tools.
“Between June 2023 and mid-2025, the House considered 2,263 bills, passed 237, and secured Presidential assent for 50, covering power reform, student loans, cybersecurity, tax policy, and regional development.
“Our oversight is becoming more rigorous, with ongoing investigations and financial recoveries.
“Crucially, constructive collaboration with the Executive has enabled timely budgets, aligned reforms and effective policy outcomes, all while preserving the legislature’s independence and demonstrating that shared goals deliver more than conflict.
“During the recess, national indicators showed cautious optimism. Headline inflation decreased for a fifth consecutive month to 20.12 per cent, while food inflation also eased.
“Diplomatic measures restored United Arab Emirates (UAE) visa services and Emirates flights, reopening avenues for trade and travel. Our security agencies have disrupted insurgent networks and rescued abducted citizens.
“While progress has been made, Nigerians still experience high living costs, underemployment, and insecurity in some areas. These challenges present opportunities for us to implement targeted legislative actions and foster ongoing engagement to create a brighter future for all.
“In the coming months, our attention must turn to several urgent priorities. Chief among them is the constitutional amendment. Eighty-seven proposals concerning devolution of powers, local government autonomy, judicial reform, and socio-economic rights await debate and voting.
“The national public hearing held on Monday, 22 September 2025, organised by the House Committee on Constitutional Amendment, was well-attended and highly successful, reflecting broad public interest and support. We must now complete these votes and transmit the approved amendments to the State Assemblies before the end of December to enable early concurrence ahead of the election period.
“We must also finalise electoral reforms well ahead of the 2027 general elections. The Electoral Act Amendment Bill seeks not only to strengthen measures against violence, improve access for persons with disabilities, and establish clearer timelines for resolving disputes, but also to reduce the ambiguities that trailed the last elections.
“Our goal is to make elections less contentious and litigious, lower their cost through single-day voting, and make the process of party primaries more democratic and inclusive. Related constitutional changes include provisions for an Electoral Offences Commission. Our goal is to produce a new Electoral Act that stands the test of time”, he said.
