The House of Representatives on Tuesday, 14 July 2020, passed for second reading a Bill seeking to amend the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act, 2017 to preserve the powers of a Legislative House and guarantee the principle of separation of powers.

Leading the debate on the Bill, Hon. Abubakar Hassan Fulata (APC: Jigawa) informed lawmakers that the proposed legislation guarantees the protection of powers and legislative processes of the National Assembly. He noted with concern the continuous refusals of public officers in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to subject themselves to summons by relevant Committees of the House of Representatives.

Hon. Fulata in his submissions, explained that the intent of the Bill is not to subvert the powers of the Judiciary, but to ensure that the National Assembly concludes all legislative processes before judicial proceedings can be conducted. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila who supported the passage of the Bill noted that the interference in the legislative powers of the National Assembly by the Executive and Judiciary violates section 4 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The Bill was accordingly referred to the Committee on Justice for further legislative scrutiny.