US, UK sending lawmakers to study Nigeria’s House of Reps - APC reps claims

Philip Agbese, the lawmaker representing the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo federal constituency of Benue, has claimed that the Nigerian House of Representatives has become a shining example for parliamentary conduct worldwide.

Agbese, who doubles as the deputy spokesperson of the House of Representatives, affirmed that parliaments in the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries have sent delegations to Nigeria to study the modus operandi of the Nigerian green chamber.

He disclosed this while speaking with journalists at the close of the second edition of the House of Representatives' open week on Thursday, July 10, 2025.

The Benue lawmaker described the 2025 edition, themed ‘Deepening Citizens’ Trust and Participation: Celebrating Our Journey as the People’s House,’ as “a revolutionary blueprint for global legislative engagement.”

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“It is so beautiful that my friends from America, the UK, and other parts of the world have informed me that the US Congress, the British House of Commons, and other internationally respected parliaments are now sending their representatives to Nigeria to study how the House of Representatives is doing it.

“Nigeria’s parliament has become a reference point globally. That is the legacy speaker Abbas is building,” Agbese said.

Agbese, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), described the open week as a masterstroke of democratic innovation and “the gold standard in legislative-citizen engagement.”

He commended the leadership of the House Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, whom he said has raised the bar and redefined what legislative leadership should look like in the 21st century.

“This open week initiative is a stroke of political genius. It is bold, people-centred, and historically significant. Never before has any Nigerian speaker demonstrated such unwavering commitment to openness, accessibility, transparency and the democratic spirit as Hon. Abbas Tajudeen," he said.

“That the world is now turning to Nigeria to learn is a testament to Speaker Abbas’ visionary leadership.

“He has placed our legislature in the league of the most open and progressive in the world. This is not just a programme. It is a movement, a national renaissance of trust in democratic institutions.

“Speaker Abbas has inspired a new generation of Nigerians to believe again in the legislature. Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen has given us a model, not just for legislative transparency, but for responsive leadership.

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“He is a rare gift to this nation and a torchbearer for a new democratic ethos. This is the first time in the history of any parliament in the world that such a deeply participatory initiative is being institutionalised.

“The 10th house under speaker Abbas has moved from promises to practice. He deserves every accolade. His leadership is bold, visionary, and transformative.”