Nigeria's House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas has ordered an immediate halt to all committee activities during plenary sessions, citing chronic absenteeism that has repeatedly left the chamber below quorum.

Announcing the directive at Tuesday’s sitting, Abbas expressed frustration over lawmakers prioritizing committee engagements over plenary attendance. “No committee, whether standing or ad hoc, will henceforth hold any engagement during plenary sessions,” he declared, restricting such activities to Mondays, Fridays, weekends, or after daily sittings. He warned that violations would attract sanctions.

The Speaker emphasized that the primary duty of every member is to be present on the floor when the House is sitting, stressing that empty seats undermine legislative effectiveness and erode public trust. His move follows weeks of complaints from presiding officers about poor attendance, particularly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, which are peak committee days. In recent sessions, plenary has struggled to meet the constitutional one-third requirement of 120 members needed for major decisions.

Committee chairmen have been instructed to reschedule hearings, investigations, and other engagements accordingly, while the Sergeant-at-Arms has been tasked with enforcing the ban.

The directive underscores Abbas’s push to restore discipline and credibility in the Green Chamber, where absenteeism has become a recurring challenge.