By Oladosu Adebola Oluwaseun
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D., GCON, has said the 10th House under his leadership has adopted dialogue and consensus with the Executive arm of the government on national issues, rather than open confrontation that yields no results for the citizenry.“
Under my leadership, the 10th House of Representatives has pursued a more balanced approach. Rather than reverting to subservience or open defiance, we emphasise dialogue, consensus, and inclusive leadership,” the Speaker noted this at the 5th Lecture Series of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, on Monday.
As the guest lecturer, Speaker Abbas delivered a paper titled, ‘Legislating Under Pressure: The Realities of Lawmaking in Nigeria.’Speaker Abbas also noted that the key reforms in the 10th House include strengthening legislative caucuses and encouraging debates on contentious issues before plenary sessions, promoting the Whip’s office as a mediator rather than an enforcer, and cultivating a collegial atmosphere through open and frank discussions and peer mentoring.“These efforts instill the values of informed participation, shared responsibility, and collective accountability,” he said.
Overall, the Speaker said instead of confronting the Executive through “public hostility,” the 10th House has adopted a model based on “quiet negotiation and institutional safeguards.” He added that informal consultations between legislative and executive leaders facilitate the early addressing of potential conflicts without undermining parliamentary procedure.“This approach has helped preserve legislative autonomy while ensuring smoother budget processes,” he stressed.
Speaker Abbas, however, emphasized that the House remains committed to “amending or rejecting proposals that do not serve the public interest while also promoting policy coherence in an era of high public expectations and economic uncertainty.”
He stated: “We are, therefore, a more confident and forward-looking legislature that values both collaboration and independence. Through structured engagement, performance monitoring, and inclusive dialogue, the National Assembly is redefining its role as a partner in governance and a credible watchdog over the public purse.”
Moreover, the Speaker said the 10th House has ensured that committee roles and legislative privileges are distributed more fairly across party lines, regions, and groups, thereby reducing feelings of exclusion that often incite rebellion or discord. He said: “This approach, grounded in persuasion, fairness, and shared ownership, aligns with practices in other hybrid democracies such as South Africa, Canada, and India. By redefining party loyalty as principled coordination rather than blind conformity, the 10th House strengthens Nigeria’s legislative culture and lays the groundwork for a more stable, responsive, and inclusive democratic institution.
”Speaking on strategic reforms and policy recommendations for the Nigerian legislature, the Speaker stated that to effectively address the growing representational pressures on legislators, a strategic reform agenda is essential to transform these demands into structured, accountable systems. A key recommendation within the Legislative Agenda of the 10th House, he noted, is to establish a legal framework for constituency projects.
He said this could take the form of a Constituency Development Fund, drawing inspiration from successful models in India and Kenya, where the Fund would allocate annual resources to each member, distributed based on publicly available criteria and subjected to independent audits. “Such a fund would not only reduce ad-hoc demands on legislators but also enable them to focus on their core constitutional duties while ensuring that constituents benefit from clear and tangible support,” he said.Speaker Abbas also stressed that public participation should be institutionalised as a core legislative function. Drawing from South Africa’s model, he said the House has adopted regular Legislative Town Halls in each geopolitical zone, with the one for the northern region scheduled for this weekend in Zaria on the 27th and 28th of June 2025.Other measures, the Speaker noted, include enhancing public education. “I propose that we adopt South Africa’s model of a state-funded Public Education Office to offer tours, multilingual learning materials, and regular provincial hearings. Plans are underway to expand televised plenaries beyond the current Thursday live transmission,” he posited.
While stating that greater transparency is essential, the Speaker said implementing electronic voting and publishing roll-call votes online will enable constituents to assess their representatives with concrete data. He added that oversight functions must also be strengthened through structured collaboration with anti-corruption agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).“We can emulate India by establishing formal joint working groups with relevant agencies. This will ensure that investigations are guided by intelligence and yield actionable outcomes,” he noted.To improve public perception, Speaker Abbas proposed the establishment of a Legislative Communications Bureau staffed with professional media and social media experts to counter misinformation and highlight lawmakers’ contributions. He said supporting this with more training for journalists on legislative processes and budget analysis will enhance the quality of their reporting.Additionally, the Speaker stressed the need for ongoing civic education to clarify the roles of lawmakers and to shift development responsibilities back to local governments through continued devolution, thereby reducing pressure on federal legislators.
He said: “It is clear that legislating under pressure is not an abstract idea but a daily reality for Nigerian lawmakers. These pressures are rooted in the country’s political history, institutional limitations, and increasing public demands. “Legislators are expected to act as both national policymakers and local development agents, often compensating for inadequate local governance structures and addressing community needs. Representation in Nigeria entails a constant negotiation between constitutional duty and the immediate realities of public expectations.”
He added: “Comparative insights from countries such as India, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, and the United States reveal that, while legislative pressure is a common feature of democratic systems, it can be effectively managed through robust institutions. These countries have adopted innovations such as audited constituency development funds, publicly funded constituency offices, educational outreach programmes, and clear rules that promote transparency and accountability.“
These practices offer valuable lessons for Nigeria to adapt to enhance legislative performance and foster public trust. The 10th House of Representatives has taken significant steps to address the pressures discussed through legislative reforms, enhanced transparency, improved public engagement, and a more structured approach to oversight and budgeting.”
