Senate President Godswill Akpabio has asserted that members of the National Assembly were not elected to be antagonists to the executive arm of government but to work in synergy to ensure Nigeria’s development.
Akpabio made the comments in a feature documentary produced to mark two years of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, highlighting the importance of legislative-executive collaboration and the reforms underway in the country, a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media, Bayo Onanuga, said on Tuesday.
“When elected into the National Assembly, whether in the Senate or the House of Representatives, your constituents will not give you boxing gloves. It’s not a boxing tournament,” Akpabio said. “You are there to work in a bipartisan manner for the interest of Nigeria.”
He said the cordial relationship between the executive and the legislature under the Tinubu administration was not accidental but a product of shared commitment to reform and national development.
“If you spend all your energy fighting the executive, who will work for Nigeria?” Akpabio asked.
He noted the uniqueness of the current government, which has, for the first time in Nigerian history, a president, vice president, and first lady who are all former senators. According to him, this has fostered unprecedented cooperation and understanding between both arms of government.
Akpabio disclosed that the National Assembly is currently working on legislation to prioritise the purchase of locally manufactured vehicles and goods, a move he said is central to reviving Nigeria’s moribund industrial sectors.
“We have started the bill for enacting legislation to enable us to first purchase automobiles from Nigerian companies before thinking of importing them,” he said.
He lamented that Nigeria loses billions of dollars annually to imports of goods that could be produced locally.
“Over 50 textile companies have left Nigeria. The cotton industry collapsed. The groundnut industry collapsed. The palm oil industry collapsed. Look at countries like Malaysia that have leveraged palm oil to boost their economies,” Akpabio said.
He commended the Tinubu administration’s “Nigeria First” agenda, describing it as “a fantastic initiative” that requires robust legislative backing.
“We are going to make laws and produce bills that ensure almost every item we consume that can be produced in Nigeria is produced in Nigeria,” he said.
According to Akpabio, the Assembly is collaborating with the Raw Materials Research and Development Council to draft policies that will ensure sustainable industrialisation.
“Taking Nigeria First means bringing industries back to the country to serve our population of over 200 million,” he said.
The Senate President emphasised the need to support local entrepreneurs, arguing that Nigeria’s population offers a large and profitable market for small and medium enterprises.
“Even if you produce vinegar and bag it well, it will fly. If you produce bread, you will be a millionaire, considering the kind of population that we have,” he said.
Akpabio also addressed criticisms that the legislature under his leadership has acted as a rubber stamp for the executive.
“People forget that we have made enemies by rejecting some of the nominees that the president sent to us. It’s not everything the president brings that he takes back the same way,” he noted.
He said the Senate scrutinises all executive proposals, ensuring they reflect the realities and interests of Nigerians.
“Our job is to make sure we cross the T’s and dot the I’s to assist the President in having the best for the Nigerian population,” he added.
Akpabio cited several people-centred laws passed by the 10th National Assembly, including the Student Loan Act, tax reform bills, and the Minimum Wage Bill.
“This government is not a government of theory; it’s a government of action. So, for us in the National Assembly, we are very focused on pro-people legislation,” he said.
He pledged that the Assembly will continue to support the President’s reform agenda with laws that reduce hardship, open up the economy, and empower young people.
“We have done quite a lot in just two years. I assure Nigerians that more people-focused laws are coming: laws that will reduce hardship, open the economy, and empower young people,” he said.
He added, “From the perspective of the National Assembly, we have scrutinised almost every bill that the President has brought.
“We have aligned it with the Nigerian people’s realities and needs and supported it by ensuring they are speedily passed.
“We don’t waste time on anything that will enhance the living standard of Nigerians,” he said.
