Rare Concurrence Row: Senate Refutes Delay Claims, Says Six House Bills Approved Last Week

•Vows to sustain collaboration with green chamber in national interest

AdedayoAkinwale in Abuja

Amid growing tension between Nigeria’s bicameral legislature, the Senate on Tuesday pushed back strongly against accusations of legislative delays, revealing it approved six concurrence bills from the House of Representatives just last week.

The red chamber’s leadership, during plenary at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, described claims from the House as unfounded and reiterated its commitment to cooperative lawmaking in the overriding public interest.

Senate President GodswillAkpabio and Senate Leader OpeyemiBamidele made the clarifications in direct response to the House’s recent resolution to suspend consideration of Senate-originated bills.

The green chamber had cited what it termed persistent delays and inaction on over 140 House-passed bills, several of them reportedly sponsored by Speaker Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.

Akpabio, however, dismissed the claims, insisting the Senate cannot joke with concurrence bills from the House of Representatives.

He stressed the upper chamber remains committed to working with its counterparts in the green chamber to advance legislative governance.

Akpabio said: “It takes two hands to clap. We have been attending to the bills from the House of Representatives. We are still going to attend to them. We will continue to work together in the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians.”

Corroborating the Senate President’s position, Senator Bamidele noted the first two items on the Senate’s order paper for the day were concurrence bills from the House, emphasizing the upper chamber had acted on six such bills just last week alone.

“For the record, we have been doing what we are supposed to do,” Bamidele told colleagues, adding: “Only last week, the Senate concurred to six bills from the House of Representatives. We know we have the principle of reciprocity that governs our operations, but this does not mean garbage in, garbage out.”

He further stated that while cooperation remains critical, due diligence remains a constitutional duty.

The Senate Leader said: “We will continue to consider concurrence bills from the House of Representatives the same way they consider ours.

“We will ensure it is done in line with national interest and our legislative responsibilities under the 1999 Constitution.”

The development comes amid a rare public disagreement between both chambers of the National Assembly, potentially threatening the tempo of legislative business.

Despite the rift, the Senate leadership maintained that inter-chamber collaboration remains non-negotiable.

The remarks appear aimed at de-escalating tensions and reassuring the public of the National Assembly’s commitment to effective lawmaking.