Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen on Tuesday disclosed that security and electoral reforms remain top priority.
Hon. Tajudeen who gave the assurance while welcoming members from the resumption from the annual recess, noted the responsibilities before the House are substantial, and the progress we have made so far is meaningful but incomplete.
While acknowledging that Nigerian people look to us for more as they expect deliberate action that improves their daily lives, Speaker Tajudeen said: ‘The Renewed Hope government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pursued reforms to stabilise the economy, enhance security, and attract investment.
‘These efforts require a legislature that provides rigorous oversight, crafts sound laws, and engages constructively with all arms of government.
‘Our midterm review confirms that the 10th House of Representatives has been the most productive since 1999, both in terms of legislative outputs and outcomes.
‘Despite political and economic challenges, we have strengthened internal capacity, updated our 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.
‘Honourable colleagues, 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.’
While stressing the need for the House to finalise electoral reforms well ahead of the 2027 general elections, Speaker Tajudeen explained that the proposed 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.
‘Honourable colleagues, another major priority is the Reserved Seats Bill for women. Currently, women hold fewer than 5% of seats in the National Assembly, placing Nigeria among the countries with the lowest female parliamentary representation worldwide.
‘The bill proposes creating additional seats, without reallocating existing ones. These seats will be contested exclusively by women. They are entirely new and will not affect the current 109 seats in the Senate or the 360 seats in the House.
‘This arrangement preserves the mandate and aspirations of existing Members while expanding opportunities for women’s representation and helping Nigeria improve its poor 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: ‘Security reforms remain a top priority. The debate on multi-level policing must move from theory to decisive legislative action. 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.
‘While Section 19 establishes Community Policing Committees and 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. This would give states a greater role in shaping their security architecture while preserving national standards and coordination.’
‘Economic recovery and job creation must stay at the core of our agenda. Small and medium-sized enterprises, the backbone of our economy, continue to face high costs, unreliable electricity, and limited access to credit.
‘We must utilise legislative measures to speed up the implementation of the Startup Act, vocational training hubs, and technology parks.
‘Equally important is progressive legislation to promote renewable energy, enhance grid reliability, and attract private investment to stabilise power supply and stimulate growth.’