Tajudeen Abbas (APC, Zaria Federal Constituency, Kaduna) last week frantically withdrew his obnoxious Counter Subversion Bill after scorching reactions from the Nigerian public. The bill put to question as to whether Abbas, an academician and PhD holder, truly understands his place as the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Nigeria’s “fourth citizen”.

Beside law-making, the legislative arm, in the presidential system which we operate, has the power to appropriate state funds, act as checks and balances on the executive and carry out oversight duties to ensure good governance. Our bicameral federal legislature consists of the Senate (which represents the 36 states and the FCT) and the House of Representatives (whose membership specifically represent the diversity of Nigerian people).

Speaker Abbas should consider himself the number one champion of the civil liberties of Nigerians and advocate for good governance. Unfortunately, the first Bill he ever introduced as Speaker sought to impose draconian penalties on Nigerians for frivolous infractions and those already covered by the laws.

For instance, the Bill sought a N5 million fine or 10 years imprisonment (or both) for a person who refuses to sing the National Anthem. It also sought a N3 million fine or four-year jail term for a person who professes loyalty for an organisation that seeks to undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty. The bill called for N4 million or two years jail term for those who insult or defame political, religious and community leaders.

Other offences included disrupting public order, “taking over” places of worship “through subterfuge”, imposing illegal roadblocks, among others. The Speaker withdrew it after stubbornly defending it initially.

It generated so much heat because it contained elements of retired Major General Muhammadu Buhari’s Decree 4 of 1984, which essentially sought to muzzle criticism of government officials. The difference was that Tajudeen’s bill expanded it to cover political, religious and “community” leaders, the very same crop of elite who are responsible for the rot in the system.

We consider the withdrawn bill as an attempt to distract the attention of the people from the gruelling hardship and draconian governance which sparked the recent mass action by Nigerians. Tajudeen sought to weaponise legislation to protect the rulers against the people. This is an act of provocation and contempt for the current mood of the people which the National Assembly leadership has been exhibiting with reckless abandon.

Speaker Abbas has also been caught advocating for automatic tickets for all APC lawmakers in 2027, an undemocratic idea that would prevent party members from getting rid of undesirable lawmakers. We urge him to step down if he is unable to live up to the pro-people demands of his office as Speaker.

Enough of these disgraceful and anti-people legislative bills!