Senate Resumes, Adjourns Again Till October 13 After Receiving Tinubu’s Fresh Requests.
By Bala Salihu Dawakin Kudu
September 30, 2026
Abuja-The Senate on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, resumed plenary after its annual recess but adjourned further legislative sitting until October 13, 2026, effectively giving lawmakers another two weeks away from regular plenary.
The Senate’s decision came after it considered several executive communications transmitted by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, including bills seeking reforms in medical postgraduate education and research funding, as well as requests for confirmation of nominees to key federal institutions.
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The lawmakers had initially been scheduled to resume on September 15 but the National Assembly extended the recess by two weeks to allow the completion of rehabilitation works in the Senate and House of Representatives chambers.
At Tuesday’s sitting, Senate President Godswill Akpabio read several letters from President Tinubu seeking legislative consideration and confirmation of appointments.
One of the major communications was the National Postgraduate Medical College (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which seeks to update the legal framework governing the institution and expand its academic mandate.
The proposed amendment would enable the institution to award Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in Clinical Medicine, Dentistry and related fields, alongside its existing postgraduate medical training responsibilities. The bill was referred for further legislative consideration.
President Tinubu also transmitted the National Research and Development Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2026 to the Senate. The proposed legislation seeks to consolidate fragmented research and development funding across Ministries, Departments and Agencies into a central funding mechanism through which research institutions and academic bodies can access resources.
According to the President’s communication, the proposed fund is intended to improve the coordination and utilisation of research resources, encourage collaboration among research agencies, universities and the private sector, and support the commercialisation of home-grown technologies.
The Senate also received President Tinubu’s request for the confirmation of Dr. Abdullahi Maikano Saidu as Chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) and six other nominees as members of the commission. The nominees include Mohammed Asmau, Mohammed Aliyu Makama, Dr. Suleiman Gidado, Louis O. Ndukwe, Amaechi Ugwele and Olaniyi Idowu Onikola. The request was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance for screening and further legislative action.
In another communication, the President sought confirmation of Engineer Sani Ndanusa as a Non-Career Ambassador/High Commissioner. The nomination was referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs.
President Tinubu also requested confirmation of Engineer Wakil Bulka as a member of the Federal Civil Service Commission representing Bauchi, Borno and Yobe States. The matter was referred to the appropriate Senate committee for consideration. The relevant committees were given two weeks to report back to the chamber.
Before adjourning, the Senate also extended the implementation period of the capital component of the 2025 Appropriation Act to December 31, 2026, a measure intended to provide additional time for the completion and funding of ongoing capital projects.
With plenary now adjourned until October 13, the Senate committees are expected to continue working on the presidential communications and other legislative matters during the intervening period.
The development means that although the Senate’s return from recess was brief, Tuesday’s sitting produced a number of important legislative actions involving research and development, medical education, fiscal responsibility, diplomatic appointments and the Federal Civil Service Commission.
DemocracyNewslineNewspaper September 30, 2026
