On Tuesday, January 17, 2023, the National Assembly resumed from its recess for the Christmas and New Year holidays. At plenary, President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan stated that the chamber will focus on security related issues by providing the Armed Forces and other security agencies with the necessary support to tackle security concerns across the country between now and June 2023. He added that the Senate will also focus on revenue generation, revenue remittances and revenue deficit. Senator Lawan also charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to ensure that the 2023 general elections meet the expectations of Nigerians.
In the House of Representatives, Speaker, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila in his remarks at plenary, noted that as the life of the 9th House comes to a close, it was imperative to aid continuity in government. To this end, he proposed the preparation of handover notes at the Committee level, an effort to be led by the House Committee on Rules and Business. He further noted the need for the House to make efforts to tackle insecurity and ensure that it does not threaten the forthcoming general elections.
However, the House of Representatives and the Senate are set to take a break on Thursday, January 19 and Tuesday, January 24, respectively for what is described as a ‘working break’. This means that members are expected to work on ‘non-plenary issues’. Observers interpret the break as aimed at giving the members time to go off on political campaigns ahead of the Nigeria General elections scheduled for February 25 and March 11, 2023.