Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has said that lawmakers were not elected to engage in confrontation with the Executive but to work in partnership for the progress of Nigeria.
Akpabio made the remarks in a feature documentary set to mark two years of the Bola Tinubu administration.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Akpabio insisted that legislators were elected to make laws that advance the nation’s interest, not to act as political antagonists.
“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. You are there to work in a bipartisan manner for the interest of Nigeria,” Akpabio said.
The Senate President explained that the cordial relationship between the National Assembly and the Executive arm over the past two years has been made possible by a shared vision for Nigeria’s development.
“If you spend all your energy fighting the Executive, who will work for Nigeria?” he asked.
He noted that the current administration is unprecedented in Nigerian history, with a President, Vice President, and First Lady who are all former senators, a factor he said has strengthened mutual understanding between both arms of government.
Highlighting legislative priorities, Akpabio revealed that the National Assembly is working on a law to compel ministries, departments and agencies to prioritise the purchase of locally assembled vehicles over foreign ones.
“We have started the bill for enacting legislation to enable us first purchase automobiles from Nigerian companies before thinking of importing them,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria loses billions of dollars annually to vehicle imports and other goods that could easily be produced within the country.
He blamed the collapse of key sectors like the textile, cotton, groundnut, and palm oil industries on the country’s overreliance on imports, noting that other countries like Malaysia have succeeded economically by leveraging resources such as palm oil.
“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,” he said.
Akpabio praised the Tinubu administration’s “Nigeria First” policy and described it as a “fantastic” initiative that deserves full legislative support.
He disclosed that consultations are ongoing with the Raw Materials Research and Development Council to draft laws aimed at boosting local production.
“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.
“Taking Nigeria First means bringing industries back to the country to serve our population of over 200 million,” he said.
The Senate President also called for more support for local entrepreneurs, adding that Nigeria’s large consumer base makes small-scale businesses potentially profitable.
“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,” Akpabio stated.
Akpabio pushed back against criticisms that the legislature under his leadership has acted merely as a rubber stamp for the Executive.
He said the Senate has, on occasion, rejected some of Tinubu’s nominees and amended proposals that did not align with public interest.
“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 said.
He added that the National Assembly scrutinises every bill from the Executive and works to ensure each one meets the realities and needs 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 said.
Akpabio assured all that the 10th National Assembly will continue to prioritise legislation that improves the quality of life of citizens and supports the President’s reform agenda.
“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 cited landmark bills such as the Student Loan Act, Tax Reform Bills, and the Minimum Wage Bill as examples of the Assembly’s achievements so far.
“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,” Akpabio 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.”
