Concerned Nigerians Group and the Centre for Liberty have jointly called for the resignation of House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas following his sponsorship of the controversial Counter Subversion Bill, which has since been withdrawn.
The civic organizations argue that the bill, which sparked widespread outrage across the country, was drafted in a manner that is inconsistent with democratic principles and unacceptable to law-abiding citizens.
In a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by Raphael Adebayo of the Centre for Liberty and Theophilus Agada of the Concerned Nigerians Group, the organizations condemned the bill as evidence that Speaker Abbas does not represent the interests of his constituents or the broader Nigerian populace.
The statement reads, “We have watched with growing concern the inappropriate conduct of the leadership in the Lower Chamber of the Tenth Nigerian National Assembly. The Counter Subversion Bill, proposed by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, was drafted in an authoritarian tone that is unacceptable to democratic and law-abiding Nigerians.”
“The bill, which has been withdrawn following substantial public opposition, proposed severe penalties—including up to 25 years in prison and fines of N5 million—for actions as minor as failing to recite a colonial-era national anthem or exercising constitutionally protected rights.”
The statement continues, “This bill is clear evidence that Speaker Abbas does not serve the interests of his constituents or the majority of Nigerians in the House of Representatives. We therefore demand that Mr. Abbas resign from his position as Speaker and as a member of the House within the next seven days.”
The groups also urged Abbas’ constituents in Zaria Federal Constituency to monitor their representative’s actions closely over the coming week. They expressed readiness to support efforts to recall Abbas if he does not comply with their demand.
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