…Says N’assembly will revisit legislation

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday admitted that the National Assembly may have shot itself in the foot with some provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, suggesting that lawmakers could revisit the legislation to address unintended consequences affecting members seeking re-election.

Akpabio expressed the regret during the opening ceremony of the 2026 National Assembly Open Week and the unveiling of the Third-Year Legislative Scorecard of the 10th National Assembly in Abuja.

His comments come amid complaints by some federal lawmakers who lost return tickets during recent party primaries ahead of the 2027 general elections.

While highlighting legislative achievements of the current Assembly, the Senate President said recent political developments had exposed challenges arising from provisions of the Electoral Act, particularly during party primaries.

According to him, lawmakers appeared to have become victims of legislation they enacted.

“From even the Electoral Act that we passed, you can see not so many people were killed, if any, in many of the states of the federation during these primaries,”

“But we shall tinker with the Act again to make sure that we are not the victims of our own actions.

“I don’t know when we get to the point, because I understand many members and many senators were overwhelmed by the leadership of the various constituencies because I don’t think I want to say states… and at the end of the day, we seem to have made a law against ourselves.”

The Senate President, however, did not specify the exact provisions of the Electoral Act that may be reviewed.
He assured lawmakers that the National Assembly would reflect on the legislation to ensure that future legislators are not placed at a disadvantage by provisions of the law.

“But I assure you that we shall tinker with it so that future members and future senators will not have difficulty going back.

“Because the more people with experience that comes back, the more the country benefits from their activities,” he said.

The Senate President also used the occasion to defend the work of the 10th National Assembly, describing it as the most peaceful and productive Assembly since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.

According to him, the legislature has recorded significant milestones in lawmaking, constitutional amendments and economic reforms through collaboration with the executive arm of government.

He said contrary to public perception, many legislative proposals, including the State Police Bill, underwent extensive consultations and public engagements before reaching the stage of passage.

“People are not aware that we have worked on it for the past two and a half years. We have gone to all the regions in Nigeria. We have done public hearings across the country,” he said.

Akpabio urged Nigerians to take a greater interest in legislative activities and read bills before criticising them on social media.

“Sometimes, before you comment on social media, take time to go through the work we have actually done.

“Our job here is to ensure that we make laws that will last for generations. We are not making laws for ourselves. We are making laws for the protection of Nigeria’s future and for generations unborn,” he added.

Earlier, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, said the 10th House had received 2,747 bills in three years, the highest volume recorded since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999.

According to him, out of the figure, 363 bills had been passed, while 72 had received presidential assent.

The Speaker stressed that the National Assembly Open Week was conceived as an accountability platform rather than an exercise in self-congratulation.

“Openness is not a courtesy this House extends at its pleasure; it is an obligation it owes to those it serves,” he said.

Abbas also disclosed that the House would withdraw its earlier version of the State Police Bill to consider a more comprehensive executive proposal recently transmitted by President Bola Tinubu.

According to him, the executive bill, developed by a presidential committee chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, contains stronger safeguards and a more robust framework for state policing.

“The House will therefore recall the version it earlier passed, and accord the Executive Bill the expedited consideration that a matter of this urgency deserves,” Abbas stated.

He assured Nigerians that the proposed legislation would undergo public hearings and scrutiny before passage.

Also speaking, Chief of Staff to the President and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, described transparency, inclusion and reform as essential pillars of a credible legislature.

He said the National Assembly Open Week should serve as more than a ceremonial exercise.

Gbajabiamila noted that while the Executive and Legislature remain separate arms of government, both institutions share a common responsibility to improve the lives of Nigerians.

“Constructive cooperation does not diminish legislative independence, nor does robust debate amount to institutional conflict. Our democracy is strengthened when both arms engage with mutual respect, constitutional fidelity and a clear focus on results,” he added.

In his goodwill message, Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Clement Nwankwo, commended the National Assembly for sustaining citizen engagement initiatives but urged lawmakers to strengthen oversight of the Executive.

“The Legislature is at its strongest not when it agrees with the Executive, but when it faithfully discharges its constitutional duty to scrutinise executive action, protect public resources and ensure that government remains accountable to the people,” Nwankwo said.

He called on the National Assembly to prioritise constitutional amendments, electoral reforms, greater representation of women and other underrepresented groups, and improved transparency in legislative operations.