Reps Dismiss Alleged Plot to Challenge Tajudeen Abbas 

Nigeria’s House of Representatives has dismissed reports of a brewing crisis in the green chamber, affirming that members remain solidly behind House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and are focused on pushing legislation that will enhance national development and effective constituency representation.

House spokesperson, Akin Rotimi Jnr, made this known in a statement on Sunday in reaction to a report suggesting that lawmakers were planning a “showdown” with Tajudeen Abbas over non-payment of local contractors and alleged exclusion from the recent recruitment exercise carried out by the National Assembly Service Commission.

“Contrary to insinuations of an impending ‘showdown’, the House remains united under the leadership of Abbas Tajudeen, Speaker of the House,” the statement reads.

“With 360 members from every part of Nigeria, across diverse political, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, the House reflects the nation’s full heterogeneity.

“Honourable Members face pressure from constituents expecting nominated projects to be implemented in line with participatory development.

“The House operates on principles of equity, justice, and fairness. Internal disagreements are addressed through established parliamentary mechanisms, not speculative newspaper reports.

Rotimi Jnr described the report, which also alleged leaked conversations from the House WhatsApp groups as misleading, stating that “it elevated isolated remarks and informal conversations on House WhatsApp groups to appear as if they reflected the official stance of the House or its caucuses.”

The statement explained that contractor payments are a national fiscal challenge and not peculiar to constituency projects, revealing that the House leadership has been engaging with the Minister of Finance through the Appropriations Committees, resulting in the commencement of payments to some contractors.

The House Spokesperson noted that lawmakers are entitled to freely express opinions in both formal and informal settings, stressing that such expressions do not represent resolutions of the House unless formally debated and adopted through parliamentary procedures.

Rotimi Jnr maintained that the House Leadership remains steadfast in upholding transparency, inclusiveness, and fairness in its constitutional mandate of lawmaking, oversight, and representation, asking members to support this process in the collective interest of the institution and the nation.