Abbas Dissolves All House of Representatives Ad Hoc Committees
By Nafiu Muhammad Lema
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has dissolved all ad hoc committees of the House with immediate effect.
The directive was communicated in a statement issued on Saturday by the Clerk of the House of Representatives, Sidi Ibrahim, and addressed to chairmen and members of the affected committees.
According to the Clerk, the dissolution followed previous directives asking the ad hoc committees to complete their assignments and submit their reports within the stipulated period.
Ibrahim said two committees had earlier sought extensions to enable them conclude their assignments, with a two-week grace period granted to them.
He, however, noted that the extension had now expired, making the continued existence of the committees untenable.
“I am directed by the Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D., GCON, to inform all Honourable Members that all Ad Hoc Committees of the House stand dissolved with immediate effect,” the directive stated.
The Clerk explained that ad hoc committees were established to undertake specific assignments within defined periods and were not meant to continue indefinitely.
“For the avoidance of doubt, honourable members are reminded that ad hoc committees are temporary committees of the house established for specific and time-bound mandates,” Ibrahim said.
“They are not intended to subsist indefinitely beyond the purpose and period for which they were constituted.”
He further cited Order 18, Rule 11, Paragraph 5 of the House Standing Orders, which provides for limitations on the time within which committees must submit their reports.
“Having exceeded the time allotted, the continued existence of the ad hoc committees is no longer tenable,” the Clerk stated.
The directive further clarified that the dissolution took effect from Friday, August 28, 2026, and ordered all activities being conducted in the name of the dissolved committees to stop immediately.
Chairmen of the affected committees were also directed to submit all outstanding reports, working documents, records and other materials connected to their assignments to the Office of the Clerk for safekeeping.
