Senate President Godswill Akpabio has “declared that the National Assembly will not be held hostage by the disruptive instincts of any of its members.”
In a statement issued on Saturday by his media aide, Eseme Eyiboh, titled ‘The Trials and Triumphs of a Resilient Nigeria’s 10th Senate’, Akpabio affirmed that the legislature’s enforcement of its rules was not aimed at “silencing dissent but about preserving order and the sanctity of democratic institutions.”
He noted that the upper chamber must uphold discipline and respect for its rules to preserve the sanctity of Nigeria’s democracy.
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Akpabio’s comments follow his disagreement with Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central), who recently returned from a six-month suspension and has continued to contest her suspension from the Senate.
Akpabio delivered a strong warning:“The Senate cannot and will not be held hostage by the disruptive instincts of any of its members.”
He argued that democracy requires institutional respect, stating:“Democracy thrives only when its institutions are respected and its rules upheld.”
“The discipline of parliamentary conduct is a universal marker of political civilisation.”
Drawing a parallel to the British system, he noted that:“In the United Kingdom’s House of Commons, the authority of the Speaker is absolute and unchallenged. No member, regardless of party or popularity, may openly defy the Speaker’s ruling without consequences.”
He stressed that the Senate’s internal rules are not merely historical documents:“The Nigerian Senate’s Standing Orders are not ceremonial relics from the past.”
“They are the living constitution of the institution, carefully designed to preserve fairness, consistency, and the sanctity of the legislative process,” he noted.
The Senate President defended the legislature’s right to discipline its members, citing global examples: “In the world’s most respected parliaments, members who flout rules face swift consequences. In the British House of Commons, suspension or expulsion is not rare when a member’s behaviour undermines parliamentary dignity. Nigeria’s Senate has every right to apply similar standards,” he noted.
Akpabio described the 10th Senate as a chamber of resilience and balance, adding that his leadership is determined to demonstrate that freedom within order is the truest form of democracy.
He concluded by asserting:“When the chamber asserts that it will not be held hostage by the disruptive instincts of any single member, it is affirming the primacy of collective responsibility over individual grandstanding.”
“This is how strong legislatures endure — not by silencing dissent, but by ensuring that dissent respects the bounds of procedure,” Akpabio said.
He emphasized his approach of firmness and inclusion, aiming for stability in the face of populism.
He concluded that “By upholding its Standing Orders, the Senate has reclaimed its moral authority and demonstrated that rules, properly enforced, are not instruments of oppression but shields against institutional decay.”
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