The recent resolution by the House of Representatives to step down all bills transmitted from the senate for concurrence, following what lawmakers described as consistent disregard by the red chamber for over 140 House-originated bills awaiting senate’s action, was tantamount to a threat to the evolution of democracy in Nigeria.
If allowed to subsist, the resolution not only would have disrupted the functions of the federal legislature, the most critical arm of a democratic government, but also bring the entire government structures and institutions at all levels – federal, state and local governments – to a grinding halt. But this ugly scenario was forestalled, all thanks to Senate President Godswill Akpabio who stepped in to resolve the impasse.
At plenary on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, the green chambers had during the heated debates on the undue delay of bills transmitted to the Senate for concurrence, stepped down two bills sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Bamidele Opeyemi.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion raised by the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, in response to a Senate bill seeking to amend the Federal Orthopaedic Hospital Management Act to establish the Federal Orthopaedic Hospital Obokun, Osun state, sponsored by the Senate leader.
During the plenary, the House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, moved to step down a bill seeking to “Establish Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Egbe, Kogi State and Related Matters”, gazetted for consideration at the Committee of the Whole.
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Trouble started when Chinda, representing Obio/Akpor federal constituency, Rivers state, was yielded the floor to second the motion for second reading.
Chinda frowned on the uncooperative disposition of the Senate towards bills transmitted by the House for concurrence, saying, “I reluctantly support the motion for second reading. We don’t get the same treatment at the Senate. Mr. Speaker, having said so, I will reluctantly second the motion for the second reading of this bill”.
In his contribution, Rivers lawmaker, Awaji-Iniombek Abiante, said, “Mr Speaker, just to support what the minority leader had said, I have two bills that have been in the Senate as early as 2024, and up till now, they have not been listed for concurrence.
“Well, let it not look as if we are slowing down the progress of governance in this country. I would support for today that we should step down the consideration of this bill. We should step it down”.
Obviously worried by development, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas said, “From what the clerk told me, we have 146 bills that are with the Senate. As a person, I have more than 10 bills. Some are there for more than six months. No attention. We don’t know what is really happening.”
The speaker appealed for calm but aligned with the lawmakers’ concerns. “Well, my only appeal, Honourable Chair, since the Majority and Minority Leaders have already taken position, it would be disrespectful for us to step it down. But let us just have the common ground on this issue that henceforth, unless we receive reasonable assurance from the Senate concerning the concurrence of our bills, we should not proceed further”.
In reaction, the Senate rejected the allegations of reluctance to consider and pass over 140 concurrence bills transmitted to it by the House of Representatives. The red chamber said it had never shirked its responsibilities towards the House of Representatives based on the principle of reciprocity.
It stressed that legislative collaboration should not mean automatic approval of bills without required scrutiny. Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele assured the green chamber that the Senate had been attending to its bills.
Bamidele said: “Only last week, this Senate concurred with six bills from the House of Representatives. And yes, while we respect the principle of chamber reciprocity, it does not mean ‘garbage in, garbage out”.
Corroborating the Senate leader’s position, Senate President Akpabio reassured the House of the Senate’s continued cooperation. He said, “Please let our brothers in the House know that we cannot joke with anything that comes from there. It takes two hands to clap, and we’ll continue to work together.”
In an apparent fulfilment of its pledge, the Senate on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, passed (concurred) two House bills. The bills are: African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons (Domestication and Enforcement) Bill, 2025; and Food Vendors Registration Council of Nigeria (Establishment) Bill 2024.
Blueprint commends the upper chamber, particularly, Senate President Akpabio, who deplored his maturity, experience, and leadership dexterity to nip in the bud what would have turned out to be a national calamity and embarrassment.
The collapse of a critical arm like the legislature is laden with multi-dimensional consequences as the art of law making for the peace and good governance of the country will be stalled.
It will also stymie certain key functions of the executive such as appropriation bills, appointment of ministers and other top functionaries, deploying the military to quell internal insurrection and external aggression against Nigeria, which require legislative consent.
It is, therefore, gratifying that the two chambers prioritised patriotism over primordial sentiment to save Nigeria’s bi-camera legislature from collapse. We encourage the two chambers to continue to work in harmony in the overriding national interest.