State Police Bill: Agbese Advises Nigerians Against Calling 10th Assembly 'Rubber Stamp'
- Philip Agbese said the National Assembly initiated the state police bill before the executive introduced its own version
- Agbese questioned the timing of calls by some lawmakers to suspend the recess, linking it to 2027 election interests
- The deputy spokesman admitted the executive had failed to pay contractors who executed constituency projects for lawmakers
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
Philip Agbese, the Deputy Spokesman of the House of Representatives, has pushed back against the perception that the 10th National Assembly merely rubber-stamps proposals from the presidency, insisting that lawmakers have been driving key legislative initiatives ahead of the executive.
Agbese, who represents a Labour Party constituency, made the remarks on Tuesday, pointing to the state police bill as a clear example of parliamentary leadership. He said the National Assembly had been working on the proposal long before the executive introduced its own version on the subject.
Source: Getty Images
"We have been on the state police bills for sometimes now. The initiative remains solely that of the Parliament," he said.
According to Agbese, the executive's decision to introduce a separate bill on state police was not cause for alarm.
He described it as an opportunity for both arms of government to produce a cleaner, unified document before the proposal moves to state Houses of Assembly. He said the process was intended to prevent wasteful back-and-forth at the expense of taxpayers.
Recess suspension calls raise suspicion
Agbese also responded to demands from a bipartisan group of House members, known as the Save Democracy Group, who called on the National Assembly to cut short its recess to address urgent national concerns.
The group, made up of lawmakers from different political parties, issued a statement in Abuja on August 5, 2026, raising alarms over insecurity, poor budget implementation, and economic hardship.
While Agbese acknowledged the legitimacy of some of those concerns, he questioned why the push was coming at this particular moment.
"One cannot say the highly respected lawmakers are wrong but the timing is suspicious," he said, warning that parliament must not be used as a tool for political actors with interests tied to the 2027 general elections.
On the separate issue of unpaid contractors who executed constituency projects, Agbese was direct in his criticism of the executive.
He said the failure to settle contractors who had committed their own resources was wrong and should not be dressed up in diplomatic language.
He added that National Assembly leadership was engaging the presidency through formal parliamentary channels to get the matter resolved.
Agbese also noted that President Bola Tinubu, as a former parliamentarian himself, should appreciate the importance of implementing approved budgets and keeping the relationship between the legislature and the executive in good shape.
Security gains and internal discipline
On the security situation across the country, Agbese said there were early signs of improvement, citing the recent rescue of kidnapped citizens in Oriire in Oyo State and parts of Kwara State.
He commended the Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. General Olufemi Oluyede, and other service chiefs for their handling of military operations.
He also dismissed claims that the House leadership regularly conducted business without the required quorum, insisting that the chamber operates a transparent and internationally standard legislative process.
He urged any lawmakers with grievances to use established parliamentary procedures to resolve them.
Agbese warns against frequent removal of service chiefs
Previously, Legit.ng reported that a federal lawmaker warned that repeatedly replacing Nigeria's service chiefs weakens military operations and creates openings for insurgents and other criminal groups to regroup and launch fresh attacks.
Hon. Philip Agbese, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, made the remarks on TVC News on Thursday, August 6, while speaking on the state of security in Nigeria and the performance of the Armed Forces.
Source: Legit.ng
