The Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, on Sunday, dismissed claims that the National Assembly under President Bola Tinubu’s administration is merely a rubber-stamp institution.
Referencing the extensive process involved in the passage of the 2024 Tax Reform Bills, the lawmaker argued that the National Assembly, since its inauguration on June 13, 2023, has prioritised strategic engagement and constructive dialogue in addressing complex national issues.
Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District, stated this in a statement released by the Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, Office of the Senate Leader.
He argued that the accusations against the National Assembly do not reflect the reality of legislative-executive relations, particularly referencing the extensive process involved in passing the 2024 Tax Reform Bills.
He said, “If we are actually a rubber-stamp parliamentary institution as most opposition political parties have claimed, the bills would have been passed within one week or two weeks after they were laid before us.”
He explained that the 2024 Tax Reform Bills, introduced in November 2024, underwent rigorous scrutiny for six months before their eventual passage, an outcome that, according to him, demonstrates the independence and diligence of the legislature.
“In the process of passing the bills, both executive and legislative arms held over 39 engagements to thrash grey areas in the Tax Reform Bills, 2024, before both chambers of the National Assembly eventually passed the bills,” he said.
He added that the debates involved broad consultations with stakeholders across the country.
“During this period, the engagements involved diverse interests and stakeholders across the federation. The tax reform bills could have been rushed within one or two weeks. But it took us six months to secure input from all critical stakeholders—civil society organisations, professional bodies, religious leaders, and leaders of thought.
“The process includes all behind-the-scenes efforts, closed-door meetings and subtle disagreements that took place between the legislature and the executive before their passage. We also organised public hearings just to accommodate inputs from diverse interests,” Bamidele said.
He further noted that lawmakers consulted extensively with industry leaders to ensure the bills were comprehensive, effective, and in the best interest of Nigerians.
“We extended our engagements to all captains of industry to enable us to pass the tax reform bills that will stand the test of time, meet the needs of our people, and ensure the overriding public interest in the exercise of our constitutional mandates.
“At the end of it, we found a way of resolving all issues around the tax reform bills in the overriding public interest. But people do not know all the efforts and sacrifices we made to ensure the effective delivery of public goods. They were only eager to label us a rubber stamp when the bills came from the executive.
“If the National Assembly was actually a rubber stamp, it could have hastened the passage of the 2025 Appropriation Bills by the end of the 2024 fiscal year to sustain the January-to-December budget cycle, which has become the country’s practice in recent times,” he added.
