The National Assembly Nigerians Want

Two years have already elapsed in the four-year tenure of the 10th National Assembly under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

When the current lawmakers were elected during the 2023 general elections, the number of incumbents rejected by their constituents was unprecedented.

Many political commentators and even re-elected legislators decried the development as detrimental to a vibrant democracy.

The prevailing assumption was that the new legislature would learn from the downfall of its predecessors and commit to truly representing the people.

The first sign that no such lesson had been learned came on November 29, 2023, during the President’s presentation of the 2024 Budget, when members of the National Assembly chorused, “On Your Mandate We Shall Stand” instead of “Nigeria We Hail Thee.”

The scene was re-enacted during the 2025 budget presentation on December 18, 2024, restating their loyalty to the president over the Nigerian people and the Constitution.

From these two incidents, the message to Nigerians was unmistakable: the lawmakers had become a conquered institution. Nothing serious should be expected of them.

True to expectations, the current legislature has proven itself to be an appendage – an extension – of the executive arm of government.

Unsurprisingly, Senate President Godswill Akpabio declared, “We were not elected to fight the Executive arm.” According to media reports, he made the assertion in a feature documentary marking the Tinubu administration’s two-year anniversary.

He stated, “When elected into the National Assembly, whether in the Senate or the House of Representatives, your constituents will not give you boxing gloves. It’s not a boxing tournament. You are there to work in a bipartisan manner for the interest of Nigeria.”

Well said. But are there any serious issues affecting ordinary Nigerians that this National Assembly has addressed with urgency since inception?

If the measure is the frequent summoning of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) heads under questionable circumstances, the 10th National Assembly has done exceedingly well.

If the scorecard includes suspending or removing lawmakers from committee leadership for daring to criticise the President, particularly in the Senate, then it has performed fantastically.

But if not for the fierce opposition by governors and ordinary citizens, the controversial Tax Reform Bills would have sailed through the National Assembly exactly as presented by the Executive.

In our considered opinion, the National Assembly has woefully failed in addressing citizens’ welfare, and appears unwilling to make amends or reignite hope. Nigerians are, however, not surprised.

Beyond closed-door briefings with security chiefs, what meaningful, proactive measures have emerged from the National Assembly to address the worsening insecurity, killings, banditry, terrorism, and mass abductions?

How many lawmakers can still visit their constituencies without fear? Most are now holed up in Abuja or safer state capitals.

When last did the National Assembly engage the President over his reform policies? When electricity tariffs were hiked and Band A was introduced to benefit the elite with stable power, lawmakers cheered.

Most of the palliatives announced to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal remain unimplemented. Has the National Assembly asked why, or demanded delivery?

Akpabio, therefore, should not complain if the opposition describes the National Assembly as a rubber-stamp institution.

The Senate President also disclosed that the Legislature is working on a bill mandating MDAs to prioritise locally assembled vehicles over imports.

“We have started the process of enacting legislation to ensure that we first purchase automobiles from Nigerian companies before thinking of importing,” he said.

He went on to praise the Nigeria First policy championed by the Tinubu administration, describing it as a “fantastic initiative” that deserves legislative backing.

As a newspaper, we remind Akpabio and others that the Nigeria First policy is not the burden of MDAs alone.

We eagerly await the day when National Assembly members and executive officials will adopt locally made vehicles as official cars, patronise local hospitals, and enroll their children in Nigerian universities, in the true spirit of Nigeria First.

From the foregoing, it is clear that Nigerians deserve a pro-people legislature, one that checks the Executive’s excesses and failures and upholds the principles of good governance.

The next two years matter immensely. It is imperative that the National Assembly uses this second anniversary to review, restrategise, and begin meaningful engagement with the Executive. Only then can Nigerians be assured that it serves the people, and not just the president and themselves.

Anything less may cost some, if not all, lawmakers their seats in the next dispensation. This time, every vote will count.