‘We’re not Senate’s subordinate’: Reps seek GCON Honour for Speaker

The members of the House of Representatives have declared equal standing with the Senate, saying the green chamber is not subordinate to the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

The call was sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by the Deputy Spokesperson for the House, Philip Agbese (APC-Benue), in conjunction with 235 members at plenary in Abuja on Wednesday, October 2, 2024.

President Bola Tinubu had, in a nationwide broadcast on Independence Day, conferred the honour of Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) on Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

Tinubu also conferred the Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR) on the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Deputy Senate President.

Moving the motion, Agbese said the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is constitutionally established as a bicameral legislature comprising two equal chambers which are the Senate and the House of Representatives, as stipulated in Section 4 of the 1999 Constitution.

The lawmaker said the constitution recognises both chambers operating within a framework that ensures the legislative independence and equality of both chambers.

Agbese said Section 47 of the Constitution further explains that each chamber plays distinct but complementary roles in the legislative process.

The lawmaker added that the House was concerned about the ongoing and inappropriate culture of discrimination against the House of Representatives, which he said often portrayed as subordinate to the Senate.

Reps to FG: Allow independent marketers to lift fuel from Dangote refinery

According to him, the language consistently refers to the Senate as the upper chamber and the House of Representatives as the lower chamber.

Agbese stated that the Senate President is often referred to as the Chairman of the National Assembly while the Speaker is referred to as Deputy Chairman, which he said, inaccurately implies a hierarchical structure contrary to the constitution, and undermines the authority of the Speaker.

Agbese said: “This discriminatory practice was once again evidenced during the recent conferment of National Honours on the leadership of the National Assembly by Mr President.

“While expressing our gratitude to Mr President for recognising and honouring the leadership of the National Assembly, we note that the conferment of the title GCON on the President of the Senate and the CFR on the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Deputy President of the Senate perpetuates the inappropriate subordination of the Speaker to the President of the Senate.

“The Chief Justice of Nigeria, who is lower in protocol ranking than the Speaker of the House of Representatives, was also awarded the title of GCON, further exemplifying this culture of discrimination against the leadership of the House.

“The House of Representatives reaffirms its commitment to the constitutional principle of equality between the two chambers of the National Assembly and calls for the elimination of all practices, titles, and references that suggest otherwise.

“The Speaker of the House is a co-leader of the legislative arm of government, and this must be recognised and respected in all respects.”

The House, therefore, resolved that the Speaker be recognised as the co-chairman of the National Assembly in all respects, and requested that all references to the leadership of the National Assembly reflect the equality.

The Star