The House of Representatives returned praise to its presiding officer as Deputy Spokesperson Philip Agbese credited Speaker Abbas Tajudeen with steadying the chamber after a testing 2025. Agbese said the Speaker’s approach preserved institutional unity amid disputes that might have fractured previous assemblies.
Speaking in an interview, Agbese said the House had faced a year of intense political and institutional pressure. He argued that the Speaker rose above sectional interests and placed the institution first, demonstrating leadership based on service and accountability rather than convenience.
Speaker Abbas leadership tested amid 2025 challenges
One of the most prominent challenges involved allegations that the gazetted tax laws did not match the version approved by the National Assembly. The matter was raised on the floor by Hon. Abdulsammad Dasuki and prompted immediate action. Agbese said Speaker Abbas set up a seven-member ad-hoc committee to investigate and directed the Clerk of the National Assembly, alongside the Senate leadership, to commence re-gazetting where necessary.
“The National Assembly, as the custodian of legislative authority, has responded not with defensiveness or evasion, but with institutional sobriety,” Agbese said. He described verification, certification and transparency as the safeguards that give law its moral and legal force, and said the Speaker’s response was an assertion of legislative strength.
Another flashpoint was the recruitment controversy at the National Assembly Service Commission. Emotions ran high and interests conflicted, but Agbese said the Speaker managed the dispute with restraint and insisted on due process. That approach, he added, prevented the issue from descending into an institutional crisis.
Members’ welfare and the delivery of constituency projects also tested the House’s cohesion. Agbese said the Speaker emphasised engagement and transparency, handling complaints through dialogue rather than confrontation and working to protect lawmakers’ ability to serve their constituents.
The declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State was cited as a further test. Agbese said the House under Speaker Abbas acted strictly within the Constitution and the Standing Orders, setting aside passions and avoiding polarisation along partisan or regional lines. That discipline, he said, preserved the integrity of the chamber.
Agbese characterised 2025 as a defining year for the 10th House and expressed confidence that the tone set by the Speaker would carry into 2026. He urged that the House remain a stabilising force in Nigeria’s democracy and said the leadership’s record showed a commitment to strengthening democratic institutions.
The image below shows Deputy Spokesperson Philip Agbese, who highlighted these developments while commending the Speaker’s conduct.
As the House prepares its legislative agenda for the coming year, Agbese said the emphasis will remain on accountability, rule-bound decision-making and repairing any gaps in legislative procedure that emerged during 2025. The Speaker, he concluded, had passed the tests presented to him not for personal acclaim but for the stability and progress of the parliament and the country.
Key Takeaways:
- Deputy Spokesperson Philip Agbese praises Speaker Abbas for preserving unity and parliamentary order in 2025.
- Speaker Abbas leadership responded swiftly to the disputed gazetted tax laws with an ad-hoc inquiry and re-gazetting process.
- The Speaker managed sensitive issues including NASC recruitment and the Rivers State emergency within constitutional and procedural bounds.
- The House aims to deepen Nigeria’s democracy as it returns in 2026 under steady leadership.
