On Monday, July 13, 2026, the National Assembly Library Conference Hall in Abuja will host more than a book launch. It will host a reckoning. A 530-page scholarly work titled, The Nigerian Legislature: Understanding Its Impact on Democratic Governance and National Development, will be unveiled, offering the most comprehensive examination yet of an institution that has shaped, and been shaped by Nigeria’s turbulent political journey. Written by Ezrel Tabiowo, an insider who watched it from the press gallery and served at its highest levels, the book promises to move the conversation about the legislature from politics to performance, reports Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka Our Managing Editor in Abuja on Sunday.
The book, authored by Ezrel Tabiowo, Media Adviser to the President of the Ninth Senate, Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, is not a memoir. It is an academic and institutional audit. From pre-colonial deliberative councils to colonial legislative councils, from military decrees to the Fourth Republic’s presidential model, it maps how lawmaking in Nigeria has evolved.
At its core, the work undertakes a forensic analysis of the National Assembly’s four constitutional mandates: lawmaking, appropriation, oversight, and representation. It asks hard questions: How effective have we been? Where have we failed? And what must be done to fortify the institution for the next 25 years of democracy?
The author is uniquely placed to answer those questions. Mr. Tabiowo served as a Chief legislative correspondent, covering the National Assembly for years. He was Chairman of the Senate Press Corps and is currently Secretary General of the West African Parliamentary Press Corps.
Between 2019 and 2023, he served as Chief Press Secretary to the President of the Ninth Senate. Today, he is Media Adviser to Senator Ahmad Lawan, who now chairs the Senate Committee on Defence. That dual lens — journalist and aide — gives the book both access and perspective.
The book does not shy away from controversy. It examines periods of executive-legislature friction, the impact of military suppression on legislative independence, and the challenges of constituency representation in a complex federation like Nigeria.
But it is not just a critique. It advances detailed recommendations for institutional strengthening. These range from legislative budgeting autonomy to capacity building for committees, to better engagement with civil society and the media.
To anchor its credibility, the book carries forewords by two legal and political heavyweights. Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, CON, OFR, SAN, former Leader of the Seventh Senate and Pro-Chancellor of Federal University Oye-Ekiti, provides the first.
The second foreword is by His Excellency Mohammed Bello Adoke, CFR, SAN, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice. Their contributions frame the legislature within constitutional law and democratic practice.
The book review will be delivered by His Excellency Senator Ita Solomon Enang, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany. A former legislator and former Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Enang brings both legislative memory and diplomatic insight.
Serving as Chief Host is His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, PhD, GCON, President of the Ninth Senate. As the man who presided over one of the most productive Senates in terms of bills passed, his presence underscores the book’s relevance.
The launch will also feature Professor Abubakar Suleiman, Director General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, NILDS, as Book Presenter and Special Guest of Honour. NILDS, as the training arm of the legislature, has a direct stake in the book’s recommendations.
Other dignitaries expected include current and former presiding officers, committee chairmen, civil society leaders, and members of the diplomatic corps. The event is designed to be both ceremonial and intellectual.
For students of political science and public administration, the book offers data, timelines, and case studies that have never been compiled in one place. For lawmakers, it offers a mirror.
For the public, it offers clarity. At a time when trust in democratic institutions is being tested globally, the book argues that a stronger legislature is not a threat to the executive, but a pillar for national development.
The 530 pages are divided into thematic sections that cover history, structure, procedure, oversight tools, constituency relations, and the future of e-parliament in Nigeria. It is written for both scholars and practitioners.
The launch holds on Monday, July 13, 2026, at 12 noon at the National Assembly Library Conference Hall, Abuja. It is open to the general public. Guests are expected to be seated by 12 noon. On that day, Nigeria’s legislature will not just be debated — it will be documented.
