Akpabio: NASS will cooperate with Tinubu, not manufacture conflict

Senate President Godswill Akpabio noted that the National Assembly would keep working constructively with President Bola Tinubu in the best interest of Nigeria, adding that parliament does not have to engage in creating conflicts with the executive to assert its independence.

This was made known by Akpabio on Tuesday at the declaration of the 2026 National Assembly Open Week in Abuja.

He pointed out that the legislature is there to represent Nigerians and must be available to the people since it does not belong to the lawmakers but to the citizens who elected it.

“These walls were never meant to keep Nigerians out. They were built to welcome them in, not merely as spectators of democracy, but as its rightful owners,” he said.

The Senate President noted that democracy thrives when citizens actively engage with the legislative process, urging Nigerians to attend public hearings, scrutinise the work of lawmakers and hold them accountable.

According to him, transparency and accountability are essential to strengthening public confidence in democratic institutions.

“Parliament should never fear informed criticism. Questions strengthen democracy. Transparency strengthens legitimacy. The more Nigerians understand our work, the stronger our democracy becomes,” he added.

Akpabio disclosed that the 10th National Assembly has passed more than 100 bills within its first three years in office, describing the achievement as unprecedented at this stage of Nigeria’s democratic journey.

He said the legislature had enacted laws to strengthen national security, improve education, modernise the country’s tax system, approve a new national minimum wage, promote investment and establish regional development commissions.

Defending the cordial relationship between the legislature and the executive, Akpabio said cooperation with President Tinubu should not be interpreted as a surrender of parliamentary independence.

“Constructive partnership should never be mistaken for constitutional surrender. Parliament does not prove its independence by manufacturing conflict, nor its relevance by opposing for opposition’s sake.

“Our constitutional duty is to support what advances the national interest, to question what requires scrutiny, and to correct what demands improvement. That is the balance we have sought to maintain,” he said.

He also noted that in the last three years, there has been a lot of harmony and mutual respect between the Senate and the House of Representatives.

He also emphasized Nigeria’s reinstatement on the Executive Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union after almost 60 years, citing it as an indicator of the restored confidence of other nations in Nigeria’s democratic process.

Finally, he encouraged Nigerians to engage in the activities of the National Assembly, noting that he was sure that the initiative of the Open Week would improve the confidence of citizens in parliament.