Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen (PhD), has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to bring the same boldness he applied to fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange reforms to Nigeria’s struggling electricity sector.
Speaking from the chamber of the House of Representatives during the commemorative session marking 26 years of uninterrupted democratic governance, Speaker Abbas praised President Tinubu’s “remarkable resolve” in implementing tough economic reforms and called for a similar decisive intervention in the power sector.
“Mr. President, it is time to wave your magic wand once more. If anyone can do this, Mr. President, it is you,” he declared.
The Speaker outlined progress in national security, the economy, and infrastructure, including the ₦6.11 trillion allocated to security in the 2025 budget and the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria Act, 2023, aimed at bolstering local arms production.
On economic recovery, Abbas credited the President’s bold policies with boosting investor confidence and increasing oil production to meet the OPEC quota for the first time since 2021.
Legislative support, he noted, had also accelerated infrastructure and social sector growth, with significant increases in funding for education and healthcare.
On a more personal note, Speaker Abbas revealed that members of the House fondly refer to President Tinubu as “the darling of the legislature,” crediting him with enhancing the Assembly’s capacity to meet the needs of constituents.
However, the Speaker stressed that “it is not yet Uhuru,” and called for urgent constitutional amendments before December 2025.
Abbas also announced an immediate review of the 2007 Mining Act to unlock the economic potential of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector, calling for improved data, decentralization, and stronger regulatory frameworks.
He concluded by urging President Tinubu to institutionalize the annual presidential address to the National Assembly as a lasting democratic tradition.
“By accepting our invitation, you have made history. Let us now make it a tradition,” Abbas said.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
