‘Stop the high turnover’: Abbas seeks automatic tickets for performing lawmakers ahead of 2027
…Tinubu is returning Nigeria to global center stage – Akpabio Abbas seeks automatic tickets for performing lawmakers ahead of 2027 Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has called
...Tinubu is returning Nigeria to global center stage - Akpabio
- From Emma Oladesu, Jide Orintunsin & Bolaji Ogundele - Abuja
Abbas seeks automatic tickets for performing lawmakers ahead of 2027
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has called for automatic return tickets for performing legislators, warning that the high turnover rate in the National Assembly undermines Nigeria’s democratic stability.
He made the appeal on Friday night at the 8th National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja.
Addressing party leaders and over 8,453 delegates at the convention, the Speaker urged the party leadership, state governors, and other APC organs to prioritise continuity by granting automatic tickets to committed lawmakers.
According to him, frequent changes in the legislature's composition every four years lead to a loss of institutional memory and waste public resources invested in training and retraining lawmakers.
“The high turnover of Senators and Members over the years has cost governance, lawmaking, and public resources spent on constant training and retraining. Experience is lost, institutional memory is weakened, and momentum is broken,” he said.
Speaking before an audience that included Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, APC governors, and party stakeholders from across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abbas emphasised the need for a more stable legislative arm.
He argued that the success of ongoing executive reforms depends on a knowledgeable and experienced legislature capable of sustaining policy direction and providing effective support.
"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."
The demand for automatic tickets for lawmakers comes amid perennial friction between sitting lawmakers and their home-state governors over return tickets.
He appealed for a "deliberate effort" to ensure that those who have delivered results are not sacrificed during the party primaries.
"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," he said.
Beyond legislative stability, the Speaker used the platform to reaffirm the North-West’s total commitment to President Tinubu’s administration. He dismissed critics of the government’s economic reforms, describing the current hardships as a "difficult road" that must be traveled to avoid passing burdens to future generations.
Tajudeen insisted that the President’s work must extend beyond the current term to ensure the "foundations being reset" are fully solidified.
"President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must continue this work beyond 2027. Not for sentiment. Not for convenience. But because the work has begun, and it must be completed."
As the APC elects new leadership, the Speaker warned against the "weight of the party's size" leading to an internal implosion. He tasked the incoming party executives with the "careful management" of competing interests, especially as the 2027 election cycle begins to take shape.
He concluded by assuring the President that the North-West zone remains a fortress for the party and promised to "deliver the block votes" necessary to sustain the current reform trajectory.
In his address at the convention, the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a leader possessing the rare combination of "sight and vision."
He also asserted that the administration's "Renewed Hope" agenda is successfully returning Nigeria to the global center stage.
Drawing a poignant comparison to the famous American author Helen Keller, Akpabio noted that while being blind is a challenge, the greatest tragedy is "to have sight and no vision."
"I said, in you, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, you have both sight and vision, and you are translating it into Nigeria," Akpabio told the cheering delegates. "Mr. President, Nigerians are yet to see the best of you. Despite the difficult economy, you are turning things around."
The Senate President emphasized that the President's willingness to make "sacrifices" and "tough choices" early in his term is now yielding tangible results across multiple sectors.
Akpabio, who took a celebratory tour of the administration's policy milestones, specifically cited the removal of the fuel subsidy, the harmonization of exchange rates, and landmark infrastructure projects.
"What is attracting all of us and all Nigerians to the APC today is good governance," he said. "From removing subsidies to your reforms in the education sector... You have brought about an agricultural revolution. Your policies are real."
He recalled the personal experience of witnessing the administration's infrastructure drive, noting the impact of the Lagos-Ibadan rail corridor and the long-contemplated Coastal Road in the Niger Delta.
"As I speak now, I have taken a ride through the coastal roads that we contemplated 50 years ago in the Niger Delta region. May God bless the wisdom He has given to you."
Addressing the party's political strength, Akpabio noted that the APC now boasts 32 state governors, a number he expects to grow before the next general election.
He noted that under Tinubu’s leadership, the Nigerian political landscape has effectively shifted into a two-tier system: "APC and others."
The Senate President then assured the President that the National Assembly remains a "steady partner" in executing executive policies.
"For those of us in the legislature, Mr. President, we are sure of our control... When the House is in order, when the National Assembly is aligned, and when everyone is committed to your Renewed Hope agenda, Nigeria will see progress."
On security, the Senate President reassured the nation, stating that the government is "on course" to restore peace to every corner of the country.
Akpabio then urged the "APC family" to remain united ahead of 2027 and beyond, characterizing the President as a "torchbearer" who has brought the country together under a single purpose.
"You brought out the torch, you brought Nigeria together, and the country adopted and approved. Nigeria is returning to the world stage. Congratulations."
