National Assembly, Two Years After

The 10th National Assembly recently marked its two years in office. Expectedly, it has been reeling out its achievements within the time frame. In the Senate, its leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, disclosed that 108 of the bills introduced have been passed into law as Acts of the National Assembly.

“In the 2024/2025 legislative year, 506 bills were initiated in the Senate compared to 477 in 2023/2024—a 6.07 per cent increase. The Senate also passed 83 bills into law this session, compared to just 25 in the previous year.

“This represents a 232 increase in fully enacted legislation. We also considered 26 executive bills in 2024/2025, up from 13 in 2023/2024. Private member bills rose from 464 to 480 over the same period,” he said.

He further listed some Key bills passed into law to include the National Social Investment Programmes Act, 2023; Student Loan (Access to Higher Education) Act, 2024; National Minimum Wage Amendment Act, 2024; Investments and Securities Act, 2025; Regional Development Commission (Establishment) Acts, 2025; and the Tax Reform Bills, 2025.

In the House of Representatives, the Speaker, Hon Tajudeen Abass, disclosed that in the last two years, 2,263 bills were reviewed. Of these, he said 65.3 per cent have passed Second Reading, while 186 have been successfully passed.

He said 51 bills have received presidential assent, marking an unprecedented milestone for any President in his first two years. Both chambers also cited their oversight work.

Just as important as lawmaking it also the responsibility of the National Assembly to check the excesses of the other arms of government- Executive and Judiciary.

Since 1999, the Sessions have left impressions on the minds of Nigerians just as they have either built or chipped away at the fabric of the nation’s socio-political structure.

From a sense of shame over the banana peel and certificate scandal, to the courage of rejecting the Third Term agenda, and the ingenuity of the doctrine of necessity to mention a few, the National Assembly, as an institution, has had its moments.

This is not forgetting that a seeming constant, through the lives of the Assemblies, are allegations of budget padding, controversies over constituency projects, salaries and allowances, most of which have raised calls for part-time parliament, return to parliamentary and single chamber arrangement.

In just two years, this 10th Session has had its own share of a mixed bag of ups and downs. Just as it reeled out its achievements, rightly so, it would be hard for Nigerians to forget the unfolding dramas, including the one between the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.

Like some of its forebears, it has been slammed with allegations of budget padding and the rubber-stamp moniker.

Overall, we believe that this National Assembly needs to do more. Of course, nothing substitutes for more impactful laws. However, it does not end with making laws.

It could be argued that the challenge is not mainly about the absence of adequate laws but also about the lack of political will to create, interpret, and execute them. Yet, the National Assembly is strategic in its process as it can oversee and adhere to the laws.

As a key part of its statecraft and social contract to ensure the upholding of principles in governance, we expect the National Assembly to be more alive to its responsibilities of checks and balances, especially on the executive.

As much as we understand the need for cordial relationships between the legislature and other arms of government, they shouldn’t be too cosy for comfort. This assembly must endeavour to shed the perception that it is a rubber stamp for the executive branch.

While the nation expects more openness in addressing sensitive national issues, its willingness to show courage and rise above partisan lines would benefit the country. We hope to see more thorough, insightful, and meritorious debates.

As the National Assembly embarks on yet another round of Constitutional amendments and electoral reforms, Nigerians expect it to step up and be counted in making and acceding to laws that help to shape the democratic processes for good.

At the very least, we expect a courageous Assembly that will preserve the welfare and security of Nigerians. That seems a very optimistic expectation. As the second half of the session commences, the lawmakers must strive to put themselves on the side of suffering Nigerians who have yet to reap the benefits of the democratic experience.

The lawmakers must do more to justify the vast resources the nation is investing unduly in its well-being, which expressly runs counter to the reality that Nigerians are trying to cope with. The lawmakers must understand, in a remarkable way, that their job is essentially about Nigeria and Nigerians.