Reps revolt as Senate sits on 146 House bills

A fresh round of inter-chamber tensions rocked the National Assembly on Wednesday as the House of Representatives halted consideration of all Senate-sponsored bills over prolonged delays in the red chamber’s concurrence to over 140 bills passed by the lower chamber.

The lawmakers, led by Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda, raised concerns that the Senate had failed to act on critical bills transmitted by the lower chamber, with some pending for more than six months.

This was after the House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, moved a motion to consider a Senate bill on establishing an orthopaedic hospital in Osun State.

The bill was titled” Bill for an Act to Amend the Federal Orthopaedic Hospital Management Act, to Establish Federal Orthopaedic Hospital, Obokun, Osun State and for Related Matters (SB. 169)”.

Under Section 58(1)–(3) of the 1999 Constitution, a bill must be passed by both chambers of the National Assembly before it can be presented to the President for assent.

Specifically, Section 58(3) states that once a bill is passed by the chamber where it originated, it must be sent to the other chamber for concurrence. Both chambers must agree on any amendments before the bill can be sent to the President.

However, tension rose at the Green Chamber when Speaker Tajudeen Abass called the minority leader to send the motion moved by the House leader.

Chinda accused the Senate of having a habit of neglecting bills transmitted by the House of Representatives.

“But we don’t get that same treatment at the Senate. Mr. Speaker, having said so, I will reluctantly second the motion for the second reading of this bill, sir, I so second”, he said.

Chinda’s position received widespread support from his colleagues.

In his contribution, Ahmed Jaha (APC, Borno) said in most cases, the Senate has always refused to consider bills from the House, asking the Rules and Business Committee of the House to liaise with its Senate counterpart to find out why.

He said stepping down the consideration of the Senate Bill and subsequent bills from them will send a signal to them that House bills should also be given accelerated consideration, just like the House is doing.

Jaha said: “But my suggestion is that the Rules and Business Committee of the House should liaise with the Rules and Business Committee of the Senate and sign a deal. They have done that several times in the past. So it is better we make it verbatim that, if they do not do their own, in the next meeting, we are not going to do their own.

“Let there be tit for tat. Yes, let there be tit for tat because the House of Representatives is an institution that cannot be compromised with the Senate, and vice versa. So this is my position.”

Contributing, Dogomie Abiante (PDP, Rivers) lamented that since early 2024, two of his bills passed by the House have remained unattended in the Senate and have never been listed for consideration.

He said this is even as the House continues to list and consider bills originating from the Senate.

The lawmaker said: “Mr. Speaker, just to support what the Minority Leader had said, I have two bills that have been in the Senate as early as 2024, and Mr. Speaker, up till now, they have not been listed for concurrence.

“The same thing happened to my bills in the 9th Assembly, where throughout that Assembly, Senate did not consider the bills that were passed from the House, emanating from me, sponsored by me. I do not know how we will continue with this kind of relationship, Mr. Speaker.

“Well, let it not look as if we are slowing down the progress of governance in this country. I would support today that we should step down the consideration of this bill. We should step it down.

“And probably you will find out from them what the problems and the challenges have been. Why do they not consider bills coming from the House of Representatives? And if the reasons are not cogent enough, we should reciprocate. We should reciprocate.”

On his part, Chairman, House Committee on National Security and Intelligence, Ahmed Satome said: “I rise to also put in my voice that we should even now step down all their bills pending a proper resolution.

“If a bill is commissioned, and so also to work, if possible, with our standing orders, that we should be guided by a certain time and period that they must do the concurrence. If not, we assume that it has been accepted and passed. Maybe, if that is possible.”

While trying to calm nerves, the Speaker, who called for calm, also affirmed the non-reciprocity of the Senate towards the Reps’ bills,

He said: “Honourable Colleagues, I think what you are saying is very worrisome. From what the Clerk told me, we have 146 bills that are with the Senate.

“And I, as a person, I have more than 10 bills. Some have been there for more than six months. No attention.

“Well, my only appeal, Honourable Chair, since the Majority and Minority Leaders have already taken position, it would be disrespectful for us to step it down.

“But let us just have the common ground on this issue that henceforth, unless we receive reasonable assurance from the Senate concerning the concurrence of our bills, we should not proceed further.

The lawmakers unanimously resisted, prompting Abass to rule in favour of stepping it down.

“This imbalance is unacceptable. We will no longer consider their bills unless we get a firm commitment that ours will be treated with the same urgency,” he said.