Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, and AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, governor of Kwara, and chairman of NGF
Adebo Ogundoyin, speaker of the Oyo state house of assembly and chairman of the CSSLN, sought support on Tuesday during a visit to AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, governor of Kwara and chairman of the NGF, in Ilorin, the state capital.
Ogundoyin said collaboration between the two bodies is vital for institutional reforms to succeed, noting that speakers of state assemblies are committed to repositioning the parliament as autonomous, but governors’ buy-in is essential.
He said the CSSLN has initiated reforms, including legislative autonomy, capacity building, improved transparency, and intergovernmental cooperation.
“We are committed to repositioning state houses of assembly to be more impactful, autonomous, and responsive to the needs of our people,” he said.
“We believe collaborating with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum is critical to achieving these objectives.
“We are not working in isolation. For meaningful change to happen, we need our governors. Their partnership is crucial and pivotal.”
“We look forward to a united front on constitutional reform. This is a historic opportunity to reshape governance for the better, and collaboration between our two bodies is essential.
“We need the governors’ forum to support key legislative proposals such as devolution of power, fiscal federalism and state policing.”
AbdulRasaq said the NGF would support any effort to strengthen democratic institutions and assured that governors are willing to engage constructively with the speakers on reform initiatives that would improve governance outcomes across the country.