By Ogechi Anita Agu
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – The Senate on Thursday rejected a bill seeking to establish a National Ethnic and Reconciliation Commission, halting the proposal at second reading after a heated debate over its relevance, clarity and constitutional coherence.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Ani Anthony Okorie (Ebonyi South) and presented on his behalf by Senator Anthony Sikayo Yaro (Gombe South), aimed to create a statutory body to foster national cohesion, prevent ethnic conflict and serve as a central platform for dialogue and reconciliation across Nigeria’s diverse communities. Yaro argued that the commission was envisioned as “Nigeria’s primary architecture for dialogue, reconciliation and healing,” warning that the country’s diversity continues to be exploited by extremists, political actors and purveyors of misinformation.
But several senators challenged the bill’s foundation and structure. Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe noted that the proposed acronym, “NEC,” already belongs to the National Economic Council, cautioning against institutional duplication. Senator Adams Oshiomhole took issue with the commission’s proposed name, arguing that the phrase “National Ethnic” was conceptually flawed. “There is no such thing as a national ethnic,” he said, stressing that Nigeria comprises multiple ethnic groups but none that can be described as a singular national entity. He added that limited public funds should not be diverted to what he called an unnecessary commission.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio further questioned the bill’s premise, insisting that Nigeria is not presently grappling with active ethnic conflicts. “No community or ethnic group is at war with another,” he said, concluding that the commission’s creation was unjustified.
Following extensive deliberations, the Senate voted to stand down the proposal, effectively rejecting the National Ethnic and Reconciliation Commission Bill at the second reading stage.
