Cooperation not constitutional surrender, Akpabio defends N’Assembly-Tinubu synergy

The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has defended the cordial relationship between the National Assembly and President Bola Tinubu, saying cooperation between both arms of government is driven by the national interest and should not be misconstrued as a surrender of the legislature’s constitutional independence.

Akpabio made this known on Tuesday while declaring open the National Assembly Open Week at the House of Representatives Chamber in Abuja.

The Open Week event serves as a platform to demonstrate the legislature’s commitment to transparency, strengthen public trust, and engage stakeholders in the 10th Assembly’s legislative journey. 

In his keynote address delivered to declare the weeklong event open, Akpabio said the National Assembly will continue to work constructively with President Tinubu while carrying out its constitutional responsibility of making laws, providing oversight and representing the interests of Nigerians.

The Senate president emphasised that parliament is not obligated to manufacture conflict with the executive just to prove its independence.

He stressed that the National Assembly was created to serve the people and should remain open, transparent and accessible to citizens.

According to him, the parliament belongs to Nigerians whose votes brought lawmakers into office and not to the elected representatives themselves.

“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,” Akpabio said.

According to the Senate president, public trust in democratic institutions can only be sustained through openness, accountability and constructive engagement with citizens.

He noted that informed criticism strengthens democracy rather than weakens it, urging Nigerians to participate in public hearings, scrutinise legislative activities and hold lawmakers accountable.

“We invite Nigerians not merely to observe us but to engage with us, not merely to applaud where they agree but to challenge us where they believe we can do better.

“A parliament that listens becomes wiser. A democracy that listens becomes stronger,” he said.

Highlighting the achievements of the 10th National Assembly, Akpabio said lawmakers have passed more than 100 bills within their first three years in office, describing the milestone as unprecedented at this stage of Nigeria’s democratic development.

He listed key legislative accomplishments to include laws aimed at improving national security, returning out-of-school children to classrooms, reforming the tax system, approving a new national minimum wage, promoting investment and establishing regional development commissions.

Akpabio also said the National Assembly had carried out the screening and confirmation of public office holders in line with its constitutional responsibilities and noted that Nigeria recently regained a seat on the Executive Committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union after nearly 60 years.

Defending the relationship between the legislature and the executive, the Senate President said working closely with President Tinubu should not be interpreted as a compromise of the National Assembly’s 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, question what requires scrutiny and correct what demands improvement. That is the balance we have sought to maintain,” he said.

He also commended the cordial relationship between the Senate and the House of Representatives, describing the collaboration between both chambers over the past three years as one marked by mutual respect and harmony.

Akpabio urged Nigerians to take ownership of the parliament by engaging with its activities, saying democracy is strengthened when citizens actively participate in the legislative process.

He expressed optimism that the National Assembly Open Week would promote transparency, deepen public confidence and strengthen the relationship between parliament and the Nigerian people.

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖