Abbas Makes U-turn, Withdraws  Counter Subversion, Other Related Bills

Chuks Okocha, Adedayo Akinwale, Juliet Akoje and Aminat Hassan in Abuja

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas,has ordered the withdrawal of Counter Subversion Bill sponsored by him which proscribed harsh punishments on offenders.

This was as a result of public outcry on the proposed bill which sought to criminalise subversive activities by associations, organisations and other proscribed groups in the country.

The bill by the speaker sought to punish between two to five years imprisonment or a fine of N2 million and N15 million both on individuals and organisations or both on those found guilty.

The bill sought to provide a legal and institutional framework to detect, prevent, investigate criminalise, prosecute and sanction subversive and related activities and to also regulate the procedure and determine how the provisions of this act shall be executed.

After an initial statement explaining that the bill was not targeted at any individual or group, the Speaker of the House in another statement signed by his special adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Musa Abdullahi Krishi, withdrew the bill.

“In response to the voices and concerns of the people, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D., has decided to withdraw the Counter Subversion Bill and other related draft legislation.

“This decision follows his extensive consultations with a broad range of stakeholders and a careful consideration of the nation’s current circumstances.”

Meanwhile, Convener of the #RevolutionNow Movement,Omoyele Sowore, has knocked the House of Representatives for introducing the Counter-Subversion Bill 2024.

Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 general elections, described the bill as “buffoonery” and predicted that it will lead to an earlier-than-expected resurgence of the #EndBadGovernance movement.

In a post on his X account, yesterday, he said, “The buffoonery of this “House of Twerps” is the reason #FearlessInOctober #EndBadGovernancelnNigeria revolt might resume earlier than usual.”