By Gloria Ikibah
HallowMace Africa has called for far-reaching reforms of Nigeria’s legislative system, proposing a transition to a part-time legislature, the abolition of the existing constituency projects model and sustained citizen engagement in the election and monitoring of lawmakers. 
The organisation said the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly risk becoming permanent centres of political patronage unless urgent structural changes are introduced to strengthen their independence, credibility and accountability.
In a position paper titled “Reforming the Nigerian Legislature: Three Fundamental Changes That Must Happen to Restore Its Independence, Credibility and Public Confidence”, the organisation argued that cosmetic adjustments would not address what it described as the persistent underperformance and declining public confidence in the legislative institution.
HallowMace Africa’s Executive Director, Amb. Anderson Osiebe, said the legislature should not be reduced to a platform for political investments, bargaining and the distribution of privileges among a select political class.
“The legislature is too important to our democracy to be reduced to a political investment platform, a bargaining centre for political interests or an avenue for distributing privileges among a select political class,” he stated.
The first proposed reform centres on sustained citizen engagement and voter education, with the organisation urging Nigerians to pay greater attention to National and State Assembly elections rather than concentrating political interest largely on presidential and governorship contests.
It argued that the relative lack of public scrutiny of legislative elections leaves the process vulnerable to political godfathers, party structures and money politics.
HallowMace Africa said voters should scrutinise candidates’ records, legislative experience, competence and commitment to public service before supporting them at the polls.
“The electorate must move beyond sentiments, party affiliations, ethnic considerations and political endorsements to electing individuals with demonstrable capacity, integrity and commitment to public service,” Osiebe said.
The organisation maintained that citizens must also sustain pressure on elected representatives after elections through continuous engagement and accountability demands.
On constituency projects, HallowMace Africa called for the abolition of the existing model, arguing that lawmakers’ involvement in project nomination, allocation and execution creates opportunities for corruption, political patronage and conflicts of interest.
It proposed that lawmakers should retain the right to identify developmental needs and recommend projects in consultation with their constituents, but leave assessment, budgeting, approval and implementation to the relevant ministries, departments and agencies.
Under the proposed arrangement, government agencies would retain responsibility for procurement, contract awards, disbursement, execution and accountability.
“Lawmakers are elected primarily to make laws, represent their constituents and exercise oversight over the executive.
“They should not be placed in a position where their legislative responsibilities become entangled with the nomination, allocation and execution of public projects”, he added.
The organisation said separating legislative representation from project implementation would strengthen institutional boundaries and ensure that development projects respond to the actual needs of communities.
“Lawmakers should represent the people, not become contractors or project administrators,” he declared.
The third proposal is a transition to a part-time legislative system, which HallowMace Africa said could reduce the financial demands associated with Nigeria’s present legislative structure.
It argued that a properly designed part-time arrangement, supported by effective committees, scheduled plenary sessions, research facilities and strong administrative structures, could reduce the cost of governance and free up resources for critical sectors.
The organisation identified education, healthcare, infrastructure and security as areas that could benefit from resources redirected through a more affordable legislative arrangement.
It also argued that part-time legislative service could attract Nigerians interested in public service and lawmaking rather than the financial privileges associated with holding political office.
However, it cautioned that any transition must preserve legislative independence, effective oversight and public accessibility.
“Public office should be an opportunity to serve, not an avenue for financial comfort,” the position paper stated.
While acknowledging that its proposals do not cover every reform required, HallowMace Africa described the three recommendations as a practical starting point for building a more accountable and people-centred legislature.
The organisation further argued that the legislature’s credibility would remain under pressure if electoral processes continued to be influenced by political godfathers, representatives remained entangled in questionable project arrangements and the cost of legislative operations continued to place significant demands on public resources.
“We cannot continue to operate the same system, expect different outcomes and blame Nigerians for losing confidence in the institution,” he said.
Reaffirming its position, HallowMace Africa said its proposals were not intended to weaken the legislature but to make it more effective, independent, affordable and accountable.
“At HallowMace Africa, our position is clear: The legislature must belong to the people, not to political godfathers,” Osiebe stated.
He said the National and State Assemblies must be repositioned to discharge their constitutional responsibilities without unnecessary distractions, adding that Nigeria’s democratic development depended on addressing structural weaknesses within its legislative institutions.
The position paper was signed by Amb. Anderson Osiebe, Executive Director of HallowMace Africa.
