Nigeria’s Parliament clash: Senate rejects House’s delay accusations

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Senate on Tuesday, addressed allegations from the House of Representatives accusing the upper chamber of stalling concurrence on bills originating from the lower chamber.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, speaking during a plenary session at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, firmly rejected claims of deliberate delays, emphasizing the Senate’s dedication to legislative cooperation.

The House had recently threatened to halt consideration of Senate-originated bills, citing delays in the red chamber’s concurrence on over 140 House-passed bills, many sponsored by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen.

In response, Akpabio clarified that the Senate takes concurrence bills seriously, noting that six such bills from the House were considered in the past week alone.

“We cannot joke with concurrence bills from the House of Representatives,” Akpabio stated, pledging continued collaboration “in the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians.”

Bamidele echoed this, highlighting that the first two items on Tuesday’s plenary agenda were House concurrence bills.

He refuted claims of inaction, stating, “Last week, the Senate concurred on six bills from the House. We are doing what we are supposed to do.”

While acknowledging the principle of reciprocity, Bamidele stressed the Senate’s duty to exercise due diligence, ensuring that bills meet constitutional standards and serve the public interest.

“This is not about garbage in, garbage out,” he added, affirming the Senate’s commitment to thorough legislative review.