No election worth dividing Nigeria — Speaker Tajudeen

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has warned politicians against turning the contest for political office into a threat to national unity, insisting that no election is worth dividing Nigeria along religious, regional, or communal lines.

Abbas gave the warning on Friday while delivering an address titled, ‘The Mandate Beyond Office: Experience, Public Trust, and Responsible Leadership’, at the Forum of Former Presiding Officers of State Houses of Assembly, Kaduna State Chapter, in Kaduna.

He urged former presiding officers to deploy their legislative experience and community influence to promote responsible political engagement as the country approaches the 2027 general election.

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“The gavel may leave your hand when your tenure ends, but the duty of leadership does not end with office. For former presiding officers, experience carries a continuing responsibility,” he said.

The Speaker noted that former presiding officers possessed valuable knowledge of lawmaking, budget negotiations and public administration, which should continue to benefit society after leaving office.

“Where there is confusion, we must bring clarity. Where anger has overtaken reason, we must restore judgement. Where public debate has departed from evidence, we must speak with courage and candour,” he said.

Abbas said responsible leadership required public decisions to be assessed not only by their policy objectives but also by their impact on ordinary Nigerians.

“As Speaker of the House of Representatives, I have learned that every public decision must pass two tests. The first is the test of policy. Is the decision necessary, lawful, and properly funded? The second is the test of experience. Does it improve life in homes, farms, workshops, and markets?” he said.

On the economy, the Speaker acknowledged the pressure Nigerians were facing, particularly the rising costs of food, transportation, and other essential needs, but defended the reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

He said the President had chosen to confront long-standing structural problems rather than postpone them, adding that the previous system had consumed public resources without delivering lasting stability.

“Nigerians have made sacrifices, and their patience deserves our respect. But honesty requires the complete account.

“The old system consumed vast resources without producing lasting stability. It rewarded waste, weakened investment, and passed an ever-larger burden to the next generation. President Tinubu chose reform over retreat and responsibility over postponement,” he said.

Abbas listed improved public revenues, increased allocations to states, support for salaries and pensions, implementation of the minimum wage, investment in infrastructure and social services, expanding domestic refining, improved foreign exchange management and student loans among the gains he attributed to the reforms.

He, however, acknowledged that the work was not complete, saying the government needed to ensure that the benefits reached ordinary Nigerians more quickly.

“Our responsibility is to explain what changed, why it changed, and what the reforms are expected to deliver. We must also ensure that the gains reach ordinary Nigerians more quickly,” he said.

The Speaker urged former presiding officers to use their standing in their communities to explain government policies, correct misinformation, and respond to legitimate public concerns with evidence.

“Our task is not simply to defend the government. It is to help the government succeed,” he said, urging members of the All Progressives Congress to communicate the administration’s record without dismissing the difficulties confronting citizens.

He added that political campaigns should address genuine concerns rather than deny hardship, distinguishing deliberate falsehoods from questions arising from inadequate or unclear official explanations.

“A credible campaign does not deny hardship. It shows the road out of it,” Abbas said.

As political activities ahead of the 2027 elections gather momentum, he cautioned politicians against inflammatory rhetoric and divisive campaigns.

“We must not allow competition for office to become a contest in national destruction,” he said.

“No election is worth dividing Kaduna. No election is worth dividing Nigeria. No campaign is worth setting faith against faith, region against region, or neighbour against neighbour. Those who heat the polity may win temporary attention, but the fire they start can consume everyone.”

Abbas urged political actors to campaign with restraint and provide verifiable information that would enable voters to assess candidates’ records and proposals.

“Citizens deserve enough reliable information to compare records and proposals. Anyone seeking office should explain how promises will be funded, which institutions will deliver them, and how the public can measure the results,” he said.

He also called on serving legislators to improve communication with their constituents by explaining government decisions and taking citizens’ concerns back to Parliament.

The Speaker proposed that the forum establish a public information and feedback initiative through which members could work with researchers to provide verified explanations of government programmes, document recurring public concerns and refer implementation failures to the appropriate authorities.

He said the initiative’s credibility would depend on the use of reliable evidence and prompt correction of errors.

Abbas further urged former presiding officers to mentor younger legislators in negotiation, legislative scrutiny and constituency service, stressing that effective leadership required listening as well as the ability to command public attention.