After weeks of legislative inactivity, the Nigerian Senate will reconvene plenary on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, with a packed agenda dominated by long-delayed security and electoral reform debates, according to official communications from the upper chamber.
The resumption marks the end of an extended recess initially scheduled to conclude on September 23, but later postponed by two weeks—stalling deliberations on several key national priorities.
Key Bills Awaiting Senate Action
Top on the order paper for consideration are the proposed National Security Summit, amendments to the Electoral Act, the Constitution Alteration Bill (2025), and the long-pending National Assembly Budget and Research Office Bill—a 20-year-old proposal designed to strengthen fiscal oversight through independent budget analysis.
In an internal circular signed by Chinedu Akubueze, Chief of Staff to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, lawmakers were notified of the shift in schedule.
“This is to respectfully inform Distinguished Senators that the resumption of plenary sitting of the Senate, earlier scheduled for Tuesday, September 23, 2025, has been shifted to Tuesday, October 7, 2025. Any inconvenience this short notice may cause is deeply regretted,” the memo stated.
Although the Senate leadership did not provide an official reason for the delay, sources within the National Assembly told The PUNCH that the extension allowed lawmakers to fully participate in Nigeria’s Independence Day celebrations on October 1.
Security Summit Tops Agenda Amid Rising Insecurity
The delay has sparked public concern over stalled debates on critical national challenges—particularly the much-anticipated National Security Summit, expected to produce a comprehensive roadmap for tackling insecurity nationwide.
Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who chairs the 20-member ad hoc committee organizing the summit, had earlier pledged a more grassroots-driven approach to security policy formulation.
“No amount of investment in infrastructure will yield meaningful results without peace and stability,” Bamidele said at the committee’s inaugural meeting in June.
Constitution and Electoral Reforms in Focus
Also awaiting deliberation is the Constitution Alteration Bill (SB. 855), sponsored by Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West), which seeks to amend key sections of the 1999 Constitution long criticised as outdated and restrictive for Nigeria’s democratic evolution.
The Senate will also revisit proposed amendments to the Electoral Act, aimed at improving electoral transparency, voter trust, and INEC’s operational independence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Akpabio Defends Senate’s Record, Critics Disagree
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has frequently touted the 10th Senate’s productivity, noting that 844 pieces of legislation have been introduced so far, including 26 executive bills, with another 499 awaiting second reading.
“It is a record that has not been held by any Nigerian Senate in two years,” Akpabio said during the June Democracy Day joint session attended by President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
However, critics and civil society observers argue that frequent adjournments and prolonged recesses have undermined legislative momentum, particularly on pressing issues such as national security, electoral reform, and economic stability.
Political analyst Dr. Ayo Akinlade told reporters that “the Senate’s rhetoric must now translate into concrete legislative outcomes if Nigerians are to regain confidence in the democratic process.”
Background
The 10th Senate, inaugurated in June 2023, has positioned itself as a reform-oriented legislature under Akpabio’s leadership. However, observers say sustained focus and consistency will be key to translating its ambitious legislative agenda into tangible national progress.
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