By David Okoh
The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D., GCON, has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to check the high turnover of lawmakers in the National Assembly, listing the consequences for the federal parliament and democracy as a whole.
Addressing delegates and other stakeholders of the APC at the party’s National Convention in Abuja on Friday night, the Speaker stated that the legislature should be part of the journey of the current administration, stressing that the National Assembly oversights the programmes and policies of the government.
The Speaker noted that the reforms by the APC administration, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, are “not a sprint” but a journey, a commitment that “requires continuity.”
He said, “This is why I say that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must continue this work beyond 2027. Not for sentiment. Not for convenience. But because the work has begun, it must be completed. Because the foundation has been laid, and it must be built upon. Because the path has been chosen, and it must be sustained.”
Speaker Abbas, however, stated that if the APC was to sustain that path, “continuity must not be limited to the executive alone. It must extend to the legislature.”
He said, “Mr. President, Your Excellencies, our Governors, I make this appeal with urgency. As we commit to continuity at the executive level, we must also secure stability within the legislature. The high turnover of Senators and Members over the years has come at a cost to governance, to lawmaking, and to public resources spent on constant training and retraining. Experience is lost. Institutional memory is weakened. Momentum is broken.
“We cannot continue to start every cycle afresh and expect consistent progress. The legislature is not separate from this journey. It is a partner in it. We legislate for the same reforms. We oversee the same programmes. We defend the same national interest.
“I, therefore, urge deliberate efforts to support the return of committed and performing legislators, so that together, the executive and the legislature can sustain this path and complete the work we have begun.”
The Speaker pointed out that the push for continuity is “the discipline of progress,” saying, “This is how nations move forward without losing ground. We cannot change direction in the middle of the journey. We cannot abandon progress halfway. We cannot trade certainty for uncertainty.”
He added, “Our task as a party is clear. We must translate strength into results. We must translate policy into impact. We must translate leadership into trust. Where we govern, we must deliver. Where we lead, we must show results. Where we stand, we must stand together.”
Speaker Abbas also noted that the North-West stands today as “a clear example of our strength,” while the geopolitical zone remains united under the APC. “It reflects confidence, structure, and direction,” he said.
The Speaker, however, noted, “But strength brings responsibility. What we have gained must be sustained. What we have built must be strengthened. What we have achieved must be expanded.”
Speaker Abbas said that the North-West would “not falter,” as the zone understands the weight of the moment. He said, “We will organise. We will mobilise. We will deliver the block votes. The same applies across every zone where our party holds ground. This is not the time for division. This is the time for unity. This is the time for action.”
To the new National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC, the Speaker said the members’ emergence will reflect the party’s confidence in their competence and capacity to lead at this moment.
“Our great party is large and still growing, with depth, diversity, and rising expectations. With that strength comes scrutiny. There are those who expect us to fracture. There are those who hope we will implode under the weight of our own size. That must not happen.
“It must be prevented through careful management, disciplined coordination, and constant engagement. Integrating both long-standing and new members, maintaining unity, and managing competing interests will require steady leadership. You must organise with clarity. You must engage with purpose. You must mobilise with consistency,” he advised.
While Speaker Abbas stated that “the road ahead will demand discipline and sacrifice,” he noted that “it will reward consistency, courage, and commitment.” He stressed, “History remembers those who stood firm and built for the future. Let us be remembered as that generation.”
Signed:
Musa Abdullahi Krishi
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
