The speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has pledged the parliament’s commitment to champion reforms in the electoral, economic, and security sectors of the country.

Mr Tajudeen said this in his welcome remarks at the resumption of plenary in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said that the responsibilities before the house were substantial, as Nigerians looked to the house for more and expected deliberate action that would improve their daily lives.

“We must also finalise electoral reforms well ahead of the 2027 general elections.

”The Electoral Act Amendment Bill seeks not only to strengthen measures against violence, improve access for persons with disabilities, and establish clearer timelines for resolving disputes, but also to reduce the ambiguities that trailed the last elections.

“Our goal is to make elections less contentious and litigious, lower their cost through single-day voting, and make the process of party primaries more democratic and inclusive. Related constitutional changes include provisions for an Electoral Offences Commission. Our goal is to produce a new Electoral Act that stands the test of time,” he said.

Mr Tajudeen said that the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of President Bola Tinubu has pursued reforms to stabilise the economy, enhance security, and attract investment.

According to him, these efforts require a legislature that provides rigorous oversight, crafts sound laws, and engages constructively with all arms of government.

He stated that while progress had been made, Nigerians continued to face high living costs, underemployment, and insecurity in certain areas.

The speaker stated that the challenges presented opportunities to implement targeted legislative actions and foster ongoing engagement, thereby creating a brighter future for all.

Mr Tajudeen stated that in the coming months, the constitutional amendment process will also receive the necessary attention.

According to him, 87 proposals concerning devolution of powers, local government autonomy, judicial reform, and socio-economic rights await debate and voting. He said that the house must now complete voting and transmit the approved amendments to the state assemblies before the end of December to enable early concurrence ahead of the election period.

The speaker stated that the Reserved Seats Bill for women will also receive priority attention, as fewer than five per cent of seats in the National Assembly are currently occupied by women. He explained that the bill proposes creating additional seats to be contested exclusively by women without reallocating the current 109 seats in the Senate or the 360 seats in the House.

This arrangement preserves the mandate and aspirations of existing Members while expanding opportunities for women’s representation and helping Nigeria improve its poor global standing. I urge members to support this historic step, as per Mr Tajudeen.

“We are all HeForShe in advancing gender inclusion, and how we vote on this bill will shape how history and our daughters remember us. Security reforms remain a top priority. The debate on multi-level policing must move from theory to decisive legislative action. Creating state police through a constitutional amendment remains an option.

“At the same time, we must strengthen community policing by revising the Police Act, 2020. While Section 19 establishes Community Policing Committees and Section 33(1) vests recruitment in the inspector general of police, these provisions centralise too much authority and limit local responsiveness.

“We should consider devolving recruitment, training, and deployment of community police officers to states under federal oversight. This would give states a greater role in shaping their security architecture while preserving national standards and coordination,” he said.

(NAN)