Reps Reaffirm Loyalty to Speaker Abbas, Dismiss ‘Showdown’ Claims
Admin. 31st August,2025
The House of Representatives has dismissed media reports suggesting an imminent rift within the chamber, insisting that members remain united under the leadership of the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, PhD, GCON.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the House Spokesman, Rep. Akin Rotimi Jr., the lawmakers described a publication by Leadership Newspapers as misleading, stressing that informal exchanges among members, including WhatsApp conversations, cannot be misconstrued as the official position of the House or any caucus.
Rotimi noted that the 10th Assembly, comprising 360 members from diverse political, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, has consistently reached consensus on national issues through dialogue and inclusiveness. He added that the House remains focused on resuming plenary on September 23 with renewed commitment to national development and effective constituency representation.
Addressing concerns raised in the report, the spokesman clarified that delayed payments to contractors were a nationwide fiscal challenge and not peculiar to constituency projects. He disclosed that the House leadership, through the Appropriations Committees, had been engaging with the Minister of Finance, with payments already commencing to clear outstanding obligations.
On the controversy surrounding recruitment into the National Assembly bureaucracy, Rotimi explained that the exercise was the sole responsibility of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), an independent statutory body. However, he said the Speaker has directed the House Committee on Public Service Matters to probe the recruitment process to ensure fairness, inclusiveness, and compliance with federal character principles.
The House also dismissed claims of uneven distribution of development projects, insisting it operates strictly on principles of equity and justice. Rotimi stressed that while lawmakers face pressure from constituents over project delivery, such agitations should not be misrepresented as internal conflict.
“The House Leadership remains steadfast in upholding transparency, inclusiveness, and fairness in its constitutional mandate of lawmaking, oversight, and representation,” the statement concluded.
