Senate President Godswill Akpabio has defended the relationship between the legislature and the executive, saying cooperation with President Bola Tinubu-led executive arm of government should not be mistaken for loss of parliamentary independence.
Akpabio who spoke on Tuesday while declaring open the 2026 National Assembly Open Week in Abuja, stated that the National Assembly would not oppose the executive arm simply for the fun of it.
According to him, “the national assembly has worked constructively with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, in pursuit of national progress,” he said.
“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, and history, I believe, will judge it fairly.”
Akpabio added that the Senate and House of Representatives have worked with “uncommon harmony and mutual respect” over the past three years.
Addressing Nigerians directly, the senate president urged citizens to take ownership of the legislature by participating actively in its activities.
“Whether you are with us today, following these proceedings online, listening on radio, watching on television, or gathered beneath a mango tree in a village square, this parliament belongs to you,” he said.
“Come closer. Attend our public hearings. Read the laws we make. Question us. Challenge us. Encourage us. Democracy flourishes when citizens remain active participants in the work of self-government.”
Akpabio expressed hopes that the Open Week initiative would deepen public trust and strengthen the bond between parliament and the people.
“The true measure of parliament is not the height of its walls, but the depth of its people’s confidence,” he added.
He said parliament was established to serve Nigerians and should remain accessible to citizens rather than operate as a closed institution.
“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.
Akpabio said public confidence in democratic institutions could only be strengthened through transparency and accountability.
“Public confidence is earned not by asking citizens to trust institutions blindly, but by embracing transparency and accountability,” he said.
“Parliament should never fear informed criticism. Questions strengthen democracy. Transparency strengthens legitimacy. The more Nigerians understand our work, the stronger our democracy becomes.”
He urged Nigerians to engage more actively with the legislature by attending public hearings, scrutinising its work and holding 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,” he said.
“A parliament that listens becomes wiser. A democracy that listens becomes stronger.”
(Ripples)