Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has retracted a controversial bill that sparked widespread criticism for its harsh penalties against those who disrespect or embarrass government officials.
The decision to withdraw the bill was announced through a post on the official X handle of the House of Representatives.
“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,” the post read.
The bill, which also included provisions such as criminalizing the refusal to recite the national anthem, had drawn sharp backlash. One of the most contentious clauses stated that anyone who “castigates, instigates, persuades, denigrates, embarrasses, or brings into disrepute the leadership of a community, religion, lawful group, local government, State or Federal Government of Nigeria” could face a fine of N4,000,000 or up to two years in prison, or both.
Speaker Abbas’ decision to withdraw the bill follows mounting public pressure and criticism from various quarters.
