The Senate has dismissed accusations by the House of Representatives that it is obstructing legislative progress by delaying concurrence on bills passed by the lower chamber.
During Tuesday’s plenary session, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, clarified that the upper chamber has been diligent in addressing bills forwarded by the House.
In response to recent allegations that the Senate had failed to act on over 140 bills passed by the House—several of which were sponsored by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas—Bamidele revealed that the Senate had acted on at least six concurrence bills just last week.
Akpabio stated, “We cannot take concurrence bills from the House of Representatives lightly. We are committed to collaboration in the interest of Nigeria and its people. It takes two hands to clap.”
This statement came after tensions flared in the House of Representatives last week, when members voted to suspend consideration of Senate-originated bills, citing repeated delays from the red chamber.
While presenting one of the concurrence bills on Tuesday, Bamidele stressed that the Senate continues to process House bills in accordance with its constitutional mandate.
“For the record, we’ve consistently fulfilled our responsibilities. Just last week, we concurred on six bills from the House,” he said. “We operate under the principle of reciprocity, but that doesn’t mean rubber-stamping every proposal. We must carry out our duties with due diligence.”
He assured that the Senate would continue to consider House bills responsibly and in the public interest.
The Senate leadership reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement with the House of Representatives, emphasising that inter-chamber cooperation is vital for national development.