Electoral Act, tax reform, others: House of Reps pass 13% of bills introduced in three years

…defends proliferation of establishment bills despite bureaucracy concerns

The House of Representatives said it passed 363 of the 2,747 bills introduced since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June 2023, representing about 13% of all proposed legislation.

The House also defended the growing number of establishment bills amid criticism that they are contributing to Nigeria’s expanding federal bureaucracy and rising cost of governance.

The figures were disclosed on Monday by Francis Waive, chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, during a briefing in Abuja marking the end of the third legislative session.

Waive said the bills comprise 57 executive bills, 95 Senate concurrence bills, and 2,595 private members’ bills. Of the 363 bills passed, 89 were approved during the first legislative session, 148 during the second, and 126 in the just-concluded third session.

He further informed that the House considered 220 motions during the period, referring 192 to standing committees and 28 to ad hoc committees, while 121 were admitted as matters of urgent public importance. It also considered 48 public petitions.

Among the key pieces of legislation passed by the House were the 2026 Appropriation Bill, the Electoral Act 2026, constitutional amendment proposals to provide a legal framework for state police, tax reform measures, and the Minimum Wage Act.

Waive said the legislation reflected the House’s commitment to strengthening governance and improving the welfare of Nigerians.

“We are sharing this data with Nigerians because the House of Representatives is working. This is the scorecard for the session,” he said.

The committee chairman also defended the increasing number of establishment bills, insisting that many of the bills had translated into tangible development projects and improved access to public services.

According to him, the establishment of Federal Medical Centres in different parts of the country has demonstrated that such legislation can deliver concrete benefits to citizens by expanding access to healthcare.

Responding to allegations that lawmakers pay to have bills listed for consideration, Waive dismissed the claims, saying the lawmaker whose comments generated the controversy had merely referred to the extensive consultations and lobbying required to secure legislative support for a bill rather than any financial inducement.

Akin Rotimi, House spokesman, also denied that money plays any role in determining whether a bill is listed for consideration.

Rotimi, who said he had sponsored more than 40 bills, maintained that every proposed piece of legislation undergoes constitutional and procedural scrutiny before being admitted for first reading.

He explained that the apparent disparity between the number of bills introduced and those passed did not necessarily reflect legislative productivity, noting that multiple bills dealing with similar issues are often consolidated into a single piece of legislation before passage.

According to him, more than 300 constitutional amendment proposals have been introduced since the inauguration of the 10th Assembly and are currently at different stages of legislative consideration.

He disclosed that the House plans to vote on about 40 constitutional amendment bills during the fourth legislative session, including proposals on reserved seats for women and other governance reforms aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions.