“A three-year performance report released by the civic-tech organisation, AdvoKC Foundation, revealed that lawmakers have failed to fulfill 68 out of 92 legislative pledges tracked since the inauguration of the current Assembly in 2023”
As Nigeria’s 10th National Assembly enters the final year of its tenure, a damning new assessment has raised serious questions about its commitment to the promises made to Nigerians.
A three-year performance report released by the civic-tech organisation, AdvoKC Foundation, revealed that lawmakers have failed to fulfill 68 out of 92 legislative pledges tracked since the inauguration of the current Assembly in 2023.
The report, compiled through the Foundation’s Agenda Metre tracking platform, paints a troubling picture of widespread legislative stagnation across both chambers of the National Assembly.
A Record of Broken Promises
According to the assessment, approximately 74 percent of all legislative commitments publicly made by members of the National Assembly remain unfulfilled.
The report further disclosed that nearly half of the 51 promises tracked under the House of Representatives’ legislative agenda have either stalled completely or remain untouched, despite repeated assurances to Nigerians.
The Senate was not spared from criticism. The report warned that the upper chamber risks being remembered more for political drama and institutional inertia than meaningful lawmaking, describing its performance as a “spectacle of stagnation.”
Observers say this assessment reinforces growing concerns that legislative oversight, policy innovation, and people-centered reforms have taken a back seat to political maneuvering and elite interests.
Transparency Questions Persist
Beyond legislative performance, the report also highlighted ongoing concerns about financial transparency within the National Assembly.
The AdvoKC Foundation disclosed that it was compelled to institute legal action at the Federal High Court in Lagos to compel the release of the National Assembly’s 2023 and 2024 budgets under the Freedom of Information Act.
For years, Nigerians have demanded greater openness regarding the finances of one of the country’s most expensive democratic institutions. Critics argue that lawmakers cannot effectively hold the executive accountable while resisting transparency demands directed at themselves.
Growing Public Frustration
The findings come amid increasing public dissatisfaction with elected representatives.
Previous legislative performance reviews revealed that several lawmakers reportedly failed to sponsor a single bill or move a substantive motion for extended periods while continuing to draw salaries and allowances funded by taxpayers.
Political analysts warn that when elected representatives fail to engage in robust debates, legislative oversight, and policy reforms, democratic accountability suffers.
With only one year remaining before the end of the Assembly’s four-year mandate, many Nigerians are asking whether lawmakers can still redeem their legacy or whether history will remember this Assembly as one of the least impactful since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
Editorial Note
Democracy is not measured by the number of lawmakers occupying seats in Abuja but by the quality of representation they provide. If 74 percent of legislative promises remain unmet after three years, Nigerians are entitled to ask a simple but powerful question: What exactly has the National Assembly been doing with the mandate entrusted to it?
The final year of the 10th Assembly should not become a season of political calculations for 2027. It should be a period of urgent action, accountability, transparency, and delivery. Anything less would amount to a betrayal of public trust.
✒️ By Noel Chiagorom — THE NATION’S EYES NEWSPAPER
