In what can only be described as a legislative showdown, members of Nigeria’s House of Representatives have openly expressed frustration over the Senate’s consistent failure to consider over 146 bills passed by the House, some of which date back to early 2024.
During Thursday’s heated plenary, lawmakers criticized what they see as a pattern of legislative neglect by the Senate, accusing the chamber, led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, of deliberately stalling progress on important legislation.
“Mr. Speaker, I have bills that have been with the Senate since last year. They haven’t even listed them for concurrence,” one visibly aggrieved member said. “This same thing happened in the 9th Assembly. If they continue like this, we must reciprocate. Enough is enough.”
The lawmakers called for an immediate halt to the consideration of Senate-originated bills until the Upper Chamber addresses the backlog from the House.
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Another lawmaker echoed the frustration, stating:
“The Senate does not prioritize our bills. It’s high time the House Rules and Business Committee liaised directly with theirs. If they don’t act, we shouldn’t act either. Tit for tat!”
Speaker of the House acknowledged the complaints and revealed that over 10 of his own bills are among the 146 awaiting Senate attention—some for over six months without a single move.
“Let us not be seen as stalling governance,” he added cautiously. “But if there’s no explanation from the Senate, we must stand our ground.”
A final resolution was reached to step down a Senate-related bill, sending a clear message of protest. The House resolved to seek a high-level meeting with Senate leadership and demanded that no further actions be taken on Senate bills unless assurances are given regarding pending House bills.
