The speaker Abbas talked about why the House of Reps chose to dialogue with the Executive Arm

The speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has explained that the green room, under his leadership, has consciously chose a dialogue for confrontation with executive arms about critical national issues. This approach, he stressed, was rooted in the belief that confrontation ultimately “did not produce dividends for the Nigerians.”

Abbas articulated this strategic change on Monday while delivering guest lectures in a series of 5th lectures from Nasarawa State University, Keffi.

“Under my leadership, the 10th House of Representatives has pursued a more balanced approach. Rather than returning to accusations or open defiance, we emphasize dialogue, consensus, and inclusive leadership,” the speaker said.

In his paper entitled, ‘Legislation under pressure: the reality of law making in Nigeria,’ the speaker describes the key reform carried out in the 10th council. This includes strengthening the legislative caucus, encouraging strong debates about controversial issues before the plenary session, and fostering collegial atmosphere through open and honest discussions and peer guidance.

“These efforts instill the values ​​of information participation, joint responsibility, and collective accountability,” he said, underline the benefits of the methodology they chose.

A statement signed by a special advisor to speakers about the media and publicity, Musa Krishi, quoted Abbas as stated, “This approach has helped preserve legislative autonomy while ensuring a smoother budget process.”

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However, Abbas quickly emphasized that regardless of this collaborative attitude, the DPR remains committed to “changing or rejecting proposals that do not serve public interests while also promoting policy coherence in the era of high public expectations and economic uncertainty.”

He further described the vision for the 10th home: “We are a more confident and insightful legislative that respects collaboration and independence. Through structured involvement, performance monitoring, and inclusive dialogue, the National Assembly defines its role as a partner in governance and credible supervisors over the public pump.”

Drawing parallel with other democratic systems, the speaker records, “This approach, is based on persuasion, justice, and shared ownership, in harmony with the practices in other hybrid democracy such as South Africa, Canada, and India. Coordination that controls legis, and not coordination that controls legis.

A significant recommendation in the 10th Legislative Agenda of the Council, according to the speaker, is the formation of a legal framework for constituent projects. He suggested that this could take the form of constituent development funds, withdraw insights from other jurisdictions such as India and Kenya. This fund, he explained, will allocate annual resources for each member, distributed based on the criteria available to the public and subject to an independent audit.

“Such funds will not only reduce ad-hoc demands in the legislator but also allow them to focus on their core constitutional tasks while ensuring that constituents benefit from clear and real support,” he said.

Abbas also fought for the institutionalization of public participation as a core legislative function. Quoting the South African model, he noted that the DPR had adopted a regular legislative city hall in each geo-political zone, with one for the northern region scheduled for this Saturday in Zaria, Kaduna state.

He also advised the promotion of the public education system, which stated, “I propose that we adopt the South African model from the public education office funded to offer tours, multi -language learning materials, and regular provincial audiences. Plans are ongoing to expand the plenary broadcast outside the direct transmission of Thursday,” he submitted.

To strengthen the supervisory function, ABBA suggested structured collaboration with anti-corruption institutions such as the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and independent corruption practices and other related violation commissions (ICPC). “We can imitate India by building a formal joint work group with relevant institutions. This will ensure that the investigation is guided by intelligence and producing results that can be followed up,” he added.

To increase public perception of the legislature, ABBA proposed the formation of a legislative communication bureau managed by professional media experts and social media, who were assigned to identify wrong information and highlight the contributions of parliament members.

The speaker concluded his lecture by recognizing the inherent pressure faced by members of the Nigerian Parliament. “It is clear that the law under pressure is not an abstract idea but a daily reality for members of the Nigerian parliament. This pressure is rooted in the history of state politics, institutional limitations, and increasing public demands.” He further outlines, “Legislator is expected to act as a national policy maker and local development agents, often compensate for inadequate local governance structures and handle community needs. Representation in Nigeria requires constant negotiations between constitutional tasks and direct reality from public expectations.”

Drawing a Comparative Lesson, Abbas Stated, “Comparative Insights from Countries such as India, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, and the United States Reveal that, While Legislative Pressure is a Common Feature of Democratic Systems, it can be effective management Institutions. These countries have adopted innovations such as audited constituency development funds, publicly funded constituency offices, educational outreach programmes, and clear rules that promote transparency and accountability.