NASS Roundup: Minority Caucus walkout, xenophobic attacks, fake agency probe and other stories from the House of Reps

It was a busy week for the members of the House of Representatives, who considered and passed some bills and motions and conducted investigative hearings before proceeding on a long recess. The week, however, also witnessed a dramatic event: the Minority Caucus’s protest walkout during the passage of the state police bill. Here are some of the major activities of the lawmakers.

Lawmakers pass state police bill

The House passed the Constitution Alteration (State Police) Bill, 2026, seeking to establish a constitutional framework for the creation and operation of state police services across Nigeria.

The passage followed the consideration and adoption of the report of the House Committee on Constitution Review, chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu.

The bill is designed to provide the constitutional foundation for the establishment of state police, with further legislation expected to provide detailed operational guidelines for the proposed security architecture.

While presenting a synopsis of the proposed constitutional amendment, Mr Kalu said the bill would not, on its own, resolve all the concerns surrounding the establishment of state police.

He said the amendment would instead provide the necessary legal framework for the development of detailed implementation legislation.

The House subsequently dissolved into the Committee of the Whole to consider the bill.

Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, who presided over the Committee, provided details of the lawmakers who participated in the voting process.

He said 211 members physically present in the chamber were from the All Progressives Congress, while 65 were from other political parties.

According to him, 35 members participated virtually through the National Assembly’s electronic platform and declared their support for the bill.

Mr Tajudeen said a total of 311 members had either signed the attendance register or participated virtually in the proceedings.

He explained that the constitutional requirement for the passage of the bill was two-thirds of the 360-member House, representing 240 members.

The bill contained 26 clauses, an explanatory memorandum and the long title.

The House thereafter passed the bill. But the passage did not go without controversy.

Minority caucus walks out

The minority caucus staged a walkout of the chamber in protest against the procedure adopted in passing the state police bill.

The walkout occurred shortly after the House passed the constitutional amendment bill.

Addressing journalists after the protest, Minority Leader Fred Agbedi (PDP, Bayelsa) said the caucus was not opposed to the establishment of state police.

Rather, he said, the lawmakers rejected what they described as a disregard for the Constitution and the Standing Orders of the House.

Mr Agbedi said a constitutional alteration bill must be considered clause by clause, with lawmakers voting on each clause as prescribed by the rules.

He cited Order 13.15(a) of the House Standing Orders, which provides that during clause-by-clause consideration in the Committee of the Whole, a clause or question shall be deemed passed if supported by a positive vote of two-thirds of the members of the House.

According to him, the procedure adopted by the House denied lawmakers the opportunity to vote individually on the provisions of the bill or propose amendments.

The minority leader said the caucus had earlier informed the speaker of areas where it wanted amendments, adding that Mr Tajudeen had acknowledged some of the concerns raised.

House steps down unfortified edible oil prohibition bill

The House also stepped down a bill seeking to prohibit the production, importation, distribution, sale and consumption of unbranded and unfortified edible oil in Nigeria.

The bill, sponsored by Chike Okafor (APC, Imo), was brought before the House for second reading but faced strong opposition from lawmakers who argued that its provisions could harm rural producers and overlap with the functions of existing regulatory agencies.

Presenting the bill, Mr Okafor raised concerns about the health implications of the widespread consumption of unbranded and unfortified edible oil.

He cited the increasing incidence of heart-related diseases and other health challenges linked to poor-quality edible oil.

The lawmaker claimed that 67 per cent of Nigerians consume unbranded edible oil, while only 31 per cent of edible oil in circulation in the country is fortified.

However, lawmakers opposed the proposed prohibition, arguing that a blanket ban could have serious consequences for millions of Nigerians involved in small-scale and rural oil production.

Responding to the concerns, Mr Okafor said the bill’s intention was not to undermine NAFDAC or criminalise legitimate local production.

He said the proposed legislation was intended to reinforce the existing regulatory framework and improve enforcement.

The sponsor also acknowledged concerns about possible overlaps between the proposed law and the responsibilities of existing agencies.

The House subsequently stepped down the bill for further consultations and harmonisation with existing laws and regulatory frameworks.

House to investigate losses from xenophobic attacks in South Africa

The House resolved to investigate the human and economic losses suffered by Nigerians during repeated xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

The decision followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos).

The lawmaker said Nigerians had suffered killings, destruction of businesses, forced displacement and other forms of violence in repeated xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

He argued that despite years of diplomatic protests and condemnations, Nigeria had not undertaken a comprehensive assessment of the casualties and economic damage suffered by its citizens.

Despite the longstanding relationship between both countries, he said Nigerians lawfully residing in South Africa had continued to face recurrent xenophobic violence for nearly two decades.

He argued that a comprehensive legislative inquiry was necessary to document the cumulative human, economic and social consequences of the attacks.

Supporting the motion, Paschal Agbodike (APC, Anambra) urged the federal government to consider compensation for Nigerians who returned home after losing their businesses and other possessions during the attacks.

The House subsequently mandated its Committees on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs to investigate the casualties, losses and damages suffered by Nigerians during previous and recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

Fake agency probe continues

The House also continued its investigation into the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC).

The probe is being conducted by an ad hoc committee chaired by Yusuf Gagdi.

The committee is investigating the legality, establishment and operations of the council, which lawmakers suspect may have been established and operated outside the legal framework governing federal agencies.

During one of the investigative sessions, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) told the committee that two foreign currency accounts opened for the PFIPC had never been activated.

A CBN official told the committee that the bank opened United States dollar and pound sterling domiciliary accounts for the council after receiving a formal mandate from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation in July 2025.

The official explained that the CBN, as banker to the federal government, opens accounts for ministries, departments, and agencies only after receiving authorisation from the OAGF.

The CBN also said it does not entertain such requests directly from government institutions.

According to the bank, it verified the authenticity of the request from the OAGF before opening the accounts and subsequently notified the office, which was expected to communicate the development to the council.

However, the PFIPC reportedly failed to complete the documentation required to activate the accounts.

The committee was told that the council did not submit authorised signatories, signature mandate cards and other mandatory documents, including the formal introduction of its chief executive.

As a result, the accounts remained inactive.

The House is expected to continue its investigation as the committee examines the circumstances surrounding the PFIPC’s creation and its activities.