Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese has urged members to be cautious not to allow the parliament to be used to advance the interests of external political actors ahead of the 2027 elections.
Agbese stated this in a statement issued Wednesday while reacting to the recent calls by some lawmakers under the aegis of Save Democracy Group for the National Assembly to suspend its recess because of pressing national challenges, including insecurity and the non-payment of contractors handling constituency projects.
While acknowledging the concerns raised by his colleagues, he questioned the timing of the demand, particularly with the 2027 general elections approaching.
Agbese noted: “One cannot say the highly respected lawmakers are wrong but the timing is suspicious.
“The 2027 elections are just by the corner and one must be careful not to be seen to be running errands for highly vested political interests outside the parliament.”
Agbese, however, acknowledged concerns over the non-payment of contractors who had executed constituency projects, saying the issue should not be ignored or politicised.
He stressed the 10th National Assembly is taking the lead in initiating bills and policies designed to address the needs of Nigerians, contrary to claims that lawmakers merely endorse proposals from the executive.
The Deputy Spokesperson noted that the House had been working on several people-oriented legislative initiatives, including the establishment of state police, before the executive introduced its own bill on the matter.
He said the executive’s recent initiative on state police should rather be viewed as an effort to harmonise proposals from both arms of government and avoid unnecessary duplication and expenditure, instead of being seen from the perspective of a rubber stamp parliament.
Agbese said: “The idea is that contrary to the insinuation being created in some quarters that we pass every bill and motion from the executive, I want to clear the air that we are working ahead of the executive on bills that have a positive impact on the generality of people
“We have been on the state police bills for some time now. The initiative remains solely that of the Parliament.
“The executive’s recent introduction of a bill on state police only provided an opportunity for both arms of government to harmonise their positions before the proposal is transmitted to the state Houses of Assembly.
“What the executive has done so far by introducing an executive bill is to come in at the right time for both arms of government to have a refined document at the centre before sending the same proposal to the State Houses of Assembly.
“It is just to ensure that we don’t waste taxpayers’ resources unnecessarily by going back and forth.”