Akpabio Urges Public Awareness on House Rules

By Oluwakemi Kindness

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio has called for enhanced public education on legislative procedures and urged lawmakers to deepen their understanding of chamber rules to prevent avoidable disruptions during plenary.

Coming on the heels of what may not be unconnected with the senate rule book saga with suspended Senator Natasha Uduaghan, Senator Akpabio humorously recounted instances where newly elected legislators have disrupted proceedings by flouting basic rules due to unfamiliarity with the House’s procedural guide—the Green Book.

He spoke on Tuesday, at the House of Representatives Open Week 2025, celebrating the 2nd legislative year of the House of Representatives with the theme, “Deepening Citizens’ Trust and Participation, celebrating our Journey as the Peoples House.”

“Conflicts are not from ignorance but from lack of reading chamber rules,” he said. “Sometimes, a member raises an Order 4151 when the third business of the day has already started. If you try to correct them publicly, the impression is that you’re being high-handed.”

He said such misunderstandings not only mislead the public but also strain the internal harmony of the chambers.

He stressed the need for ongoing orientation for new legislators and civic education for citizens to understand the workings of the legislature.

Akpabio also used the occasion to commend the House’s Open Week initiative, describing it as a “major innovation in parliamentary practice” and a key step towards bridging the gap between the National Assembly and the Nigerian public.

“This is truly the people’s parliament,” he said. “The Senate is proud of this development, and we will follow suit. In fact, we should consider hosting a joint Open Week annually.”

The Open Week, organized to foster citizen engagement and legislative transparency, drew wide participation from civil society, youth groups, international observers, and representatives of vulnerable communities.

On legislative business, Akpabio reaffirmed the Senate’s commitment to legislative cooperation, assuring the House that the upper chamber would continue to fast-track concurrence on bills transmitted from the lower house.

He noted that six bills from the House have already been passed by the Senate the previous week, and several others are in progress.

He praised the synergy between the two chambers as a critical driver of national development.

Akpabio also lauded the leadership of the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, describing the 10th House as “perhaps the most peaceful since 1999,” and highlighted the Assembly’s impressive legislative output, including the passage of over 2,200 bills, with more than 50 already assented to by the President.

The Senate President concluded by emphasizing the importance of protecting the legislature from undue expectations, noting that the constitutional role of lawmakers is to make laws and conduct oversight, not to provide roads or employment.

“If anything is to be taken from this Open Week, let it be that lawmakers are not contractors or job creators. Let legislators be legislators.”