As Nigeria reflects on its 65-year journey since independence and 26 years of uninterrupted democracy since 1999, one of the most crucial institutions under public scrutiny is the\u00a0National Assembly<\/strong>. The legislative arm, comprising the\u00a0Senate<\/strong>\u00a0and the\u00a0House of Representatives<\/strong>, plays a pivotal role in shaping laws, checking executive power, and representing the people.<\/p>\n Now two years into the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the 10th National Assembly\u2014under the leadership of\u00a0Senate President Godswill Akpabio<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas<\/strong>\u2014presents a mixed bag of\u00a0high legislative activity<\/strong>,\u00a0moderate gains<\/strong>, and\u00a0noticeable challenges<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In terms of output, the 10th Senate under Senator Akpabio has not been idle. With\u00a0over 844 bills introduced<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a096 bills passed<\/strong>\u00a0in its first two years, the Senate has been active on paper. Key among its achievements are laws that align with the Tinubu administration\u2019s\u00a0economic reform agenda<\/strong>, including bills targeting\u00a0energy reform, regional development, student loan access<\/strong>, and\u00a0fiscal transparency<\/strong>.<\/p>\n However, despite the numbers, the Senate’s\u00a0legislative efficiency is often questioned<\/strong>. Critics argue that the focus on quantity sometimes overshadows the\u00a0quality and impact<\/strong>\u00a0of the laws being passed. Many bills stall after the second reading or fail to achieve real-world implementation.<\/p>\n Even more concerning is the\u00a0perceived lack of independence<\/strong>. The Akpabio-led Senate has been widely seen as\u00a0too cozy with the executive<\/strong>, often waving through presidential requests\u2014whether in the form of supplementary budgets, ministerial nominations, or international loan approvals\u2014with minimal resistance. This has led to fears that the Senate is gradually surrendering its oversight mandate.<\/p>\n Internally, the Senate hasn\u2019t been without drama. From leadership squabbles to controversial committee appointments, early sessions were mired in\u00a0in-house tensions<\/strong>\u00a0that dented public confidence. Although some calm has returned, the Senate’s\u00a0connection with public sentiment remains weak<\/strong>, especially in a time of deepening economic hardship.<\/p>\n On the green chambers of the National Assembly,\u00a0Hon. Tajudeen Abbas<\/strong>\u00a0has presided over one of the\u00a0most legislatively active Houses<\/strong>\u00a0since 1999. Within just two years, the House of Representatives has introduced a staggering\u00a02,263 bills<\/strong>, with\u00a01,477 passing second reading<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0186 advancing to third reading<\/strong>. Out of these,\u00a051 bills have been signed into law by the President<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Unlike previous assemblies, this House has shown\u00a0greater ambition in pursuing structural reforms<\/strong>\u2014including laws on\u00a0audit reform, public procurement, electric power regulation, small arms control<\/strong>, and\u00a0student loan accessibility<\/strong>. Speaker Abbas has consistently emphasized alignment with the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of the President while still attempting to maintain legislative independence.<\/p>\n Where the House appears to gain some praise is in its\u00a0responsive use of motions<\/strong>\u2014with over 800 motions passed on issues ranging from national security to cost-of-living crises. Committees have been relatively more visible, holding hearings and investigating matters of public interest.<\/p>\n Yet, despite these efforts, many Nigerians remain\u00a0unimpressed with the legislature\u2019s overall performance<\/strong>. There\u2019s a growing perception that most laws passed are\u00a0not enforced or felt by the masses<\/strong>, especially at a time when citizens are grappling with inflation, unemployment, and insecurity.<\/p>\n Moreover, the\u00a0oversight function of the House is seen as largely reactive<\/strong>. While motions are raised and investigations launched, outcomes are rarely followed through. As with the Senate, many fear the House is reluctant to challenge the Executive on critical issues such as budget implementation, fuel subsidy management, or national debt.<\/p>\n In both chambers, a\u00a0common thread is the widening gap between legislative action and public perception<\/strong>. Nigerians increasingly feel that lawmakers are\u00a0more focused on ceremonial bills and political alignments<\/strong>\u00a0than on tangible policies that address insecurity, food inflation, healthcare crises, and the education sector\u2019s decline.<\/p>\n Oversight, a cardinal responsibility of the legislature, is seen as\u00a0underutilized<\/strong>. Joint committees are often perceived as\u00a0toothless<\/strong>, with few follow-ups on findings or recommendations. The legislature\u2019s tendency to align too closely with the Presidency has also\u00a0weakened the system of checks and balances<\/strong>\u00a0that is essential in any functional democracy.<\/p>\n If the National Assembly is to reclaim public trust and make meaningful impact in the remaining years of this administration, several steps are necessary:<\/p>\n As the 10th National Assembly steps into the second half of its tenure, its relevance will be defined not by the\u00a0volume of bills<\/strong>\u00a0passed but by the\u00a0value those laws add to citizens\u2019 lives<\/strong>. If the Senate and House can pivot from performative politics to transformative legislation, they may yet rise to meet the challenges of a restless nation seeking leadership, vision, and justice.<\/p>\n In the end, a\u00a0responsive, independent, and principled legislature<\/strong>\u00a0remains the best insurance for Nigeria\u2019s democracy and its future.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As Nigeria reflects on its 65-year journey since independence and 26 years of uninterrupted democracy since 1999, one of the most crucial institutions under public scrutiny is the\u00a0National Assembly. The legislative arm, comprising the\u00a0Senate\u00a0and the\u00a0House of Representatives, plays a pivotal role in shaping laws, checking executive power, and representing the people. Now two years into […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":858,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1930,672,164,4820,2004,4822,4819,4821,979],"class_list":["post-7549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-controversial","tag-leadership","tag-legislation","tag-legislatures","tag-mechanisms","tag-performance-audits","tag-squabbles","tag-tendency","tag-transformative"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7549","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7549"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7549\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7553,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7549\/revisions\/7553"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nSenator Godswill Akpabio\u2019s Senate: A Legislature in Overdrive or Overlap?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nHon Tajudeen Abbas and the House: A Storm of Bills with Uneven Impact<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nPublic Trust and Legislative Relevance: A Crisis Brewing?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nThe Road Ahead: Strengthening the Legislature\u2019s Backbone<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\nThe legislature must become more assertive in holding the executive accountable\u2014especially on matters of public finance, national security, and policy outcomes.<\/li>\n
\nRather than chasing the number of bills, lawmakers should ensure passed laws are implemented effectively, with feedback mechanisms and performance audits.<\/li>\n
\nConstituency offices, public hearings, and digital communication platforms must be revitalized to bring citizens closer to their representatives.<\/li>\n
\nA National Assembly that merely echoes the Presidency cannot serve the people effectively. Lawmakers must reassert their role as a co-equal branch of government.<\/li>\n
\nEnhanced training for members and their aides on policy, legal drafting, and budget analysis is essential for more impactful lawmaking.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
\nConclusion: Legislative Power Must Mean People’s Power<\/strong><\/h3>\n