The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, has reiterated the parliament’s commitment to advancing reforms in Nigeria’s electoral, economic, and security sectors.
Tajudeen made this known in his welcome address during the resumption of plenary on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said the responsibilities before the House were significant, as Nigerians looked to the legislature for deliberate action that would improve their daily lives.
“We must finalise electoral reforms well ahead of the 2027 general elections. The Electoral Act Amendment Bill seeks to strengthen measures against violence, improve access for persons with disabilities, establish clearer timelines for dispute resolution, and 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 party primaries more democratic and inclusive,” he said.
He added that related constitutional amendments would include provisions for the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission, noting that the goal was to produce an Electoral Act that would stand the test of time.
Tajudeen observed that President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda had been driving reforms aimed at stabilising the economy, enhancing security, and attracting investment.
According to him, these efforts require a legislature that provides rigorous oversight, crafts sound laws, and engages constructively with other arms of government.
He acknowledged that despite some progress, Nigerians continued to face high living costs, underemployment, and insecurity in some areas, adding that these challenges provided opportunities for targeted legislative action and sustained engagement toward a brighter future.
Tajudeen also revealed that the constitutional amendment process would receive due attention in the coming months, with 87 proposals on devolution of powers, local government autonomy, judicial reform, and socio-economic rights awaiting debate and voting.
He said the House must complete voting and transmit approved amendments to state assemblies before the end of December to ensure early concurrence ahead of the election period.
The speaker added that the Reserved Seats Bill for women would receive priority attention, noting that fewer than five per cent of National Assembly seats were currently occupied by women.
He explained that the bill sought to create additional seats to be contested exclusively by women, without altering the existing 109 Senate seats or 360 House seats.
“This arrangement preserves the mandate and aspirations of current members while expanding opportunities for women’s representation and improving Nigeria’s global standing. I urge members to support this historic step. We are all HeForShe in advancing gender inclusion, and how we vote on this bill will shape how history and our daughters remember us,” he said.
Tajudeen further stressed that security reform remained a top priority, calling for legislative action to advance multi-level policing.
“Creating state police through a constitutional amendment remains an option. At the same time, we must strengthen community policing by revising the Police Act, 2020. Section 19 establishes Community Policing Committees, while Section 33(1) vests recruitment in the Inspector-General of Police. These provisions centralise too much authority and limit local responsiveness. We should consider devolving recruitment, training, and deployment of community police officers to states under federal oversight,” he said.
He added that this approach would enable states to play a greater role in shaping their security systems while maintaining national standards and coordination.
(NAN)