Jonas Ezieke, Abuja
The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has noted with grave concern the statement credited to the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, in which he spoke for the “House” in response to the legitimate concerns raised by the Minority Caucus on the state of insecurity and worsening hardship in the nation.
The Minority Caucus reminds the House Spokesman that it is the constitutional duty of Parliament to hold the Executive to account, emphasizing that President Bola Tinubu, while in opposition, rightly declared that “the buck stops at the President’s table.” That constitutional position has not changed. Thus, the legislature must never look away when the country bleeds.
The opposition lawmakers emphasized that the Executive has repeatedly failed to honour commitments made to the Nigerian people through the Parliament. But rather than demand accountability, the House Spokesman has chosen to defend the indefensible.
The Caucus declared that Parliament is not, and will never be, a lapdog of the Executive. “We will keep speaking for Nigerians, even if the Majority Caucus elects to capitulate at the altar of blind partisanship, shredding the sacred doctrine of checks and balances, upon which democracy either bleeds or thrives.
The Caucus states, ” The Minority Caucus views with grave concern the procedural impropriety exhibited by the House Spokesman, which sets a dangerous precedent for parliamentary conduct.
“The deployment of the phrase – “House Notes”- in his statement is improper, misleading, and constitutes a flagrant breach of the collective privileges of Members. For the record, the last sitting of the House was on Monday, 15th June, 2026. The Minority Caucus addressed the media on Wednesday, 17th June, 2026. No subsequent sitting, meeting, or resolution of the House was convened to authorize a collective position on the matter.
“While the House Spokesman is at liberty to speak for the Speaker, the House Leadership, or the Majority Caucus, he possesses no mandate to purport to speak for the entire House or to misappropriate the views of the Minority Caucus. Such conduct is a clear violation of established parliamentary procedure and an affront to the rights and privileges of Members of the 10th House of Representatives.
” The matters raised by the Minority Caucus fall within the constitutional oversight functions of the National Assembly over the Executive. With numerous spokespersons in the Presidency, it is not the duty of the House Spokesman to embark on an unsolicited defense of the Executive.
“This conduct reinforces public perception of the 10th House as an appendage of the Executive. Sections 14(2)(b) and 88 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) mandate Parliament to ensure the security and welfare of the people and to expose corruption, inefficiency, and waste. The Minority Caucus will not abdicate this sacred duty.”
It added that If the Majority Caucus chooses to forget this, the Minority Caucus will not continue to abdicate the sacred responsibility.
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