‘Cooperation Isn’t Surrender’, Akpabio Defends National Assembly-Tinubu Ties
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has defended the cordial relationship between the National Assembly and President Bola Ahmed 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.
Speaking at the opening of the 2026 National Assembly Open Week in Abuja, Akpabio said the legislature would continue to work constructively with the executive while carrying out its constitutional responsibility.
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.
He added: “Parliament belongs not to those elected to sit within it, but to the millions whose hopes and votes brought it into existence.
“Parliament was never built to keep the people out. It was built to bring them in, for democracy flourishes only in the confidence of an informed and engaged citizenry.”
The Senate President said public confidence in democratic institutions can only be sustained through openness, accountability and transparency rather than expecting citizens to trust public institutions without scrutiny.
“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.”
Akpabio urged Nigerians to participate more actively in legislative activities by attending public hearings, following parliamentary proceedings and holding elected representatives 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.”
Reviewing the performance of the 10th National Assembly, Akpabio said lawmakers had passed more than 100 bills within the first three years of the current assembly, describing the achievement as unprecedented at this stage of Nigeria’s democratic journey.
He said the legislature had enacted laws aimed at strengthening national security, tackling the challenge of out-of-school children, reforming the country’s tax system, approving a new national minimum wage, promoting investment and creating regional development commissions.
He also said the National Assembly had carried out its constitutional responsibility of screening and confirming nominees for public office with diligence, while Nigeria had regained a seat on the Executive Committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union after nearly 60 years.
Akpabio maintained that the close working relationship between the legislature and the executive should not be interpreted as a compromise of parliamentary independence.
“Throughout these responsibilities, 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.”
He further said the Senate and the House of Representatives had maintained what he described as “uncommon harmony and mutual respect” over the past three years in the discharge of their legislative responsibilities.
Addressing Nigerians, Akpabio called on citizens to take greater ownership of the parliament by participating in its activities and scrutinising its work.
“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.”
He expressed optimism that the National Assembly Open Week would further strengthen public trust in the legislature and deepen the relationship between parliament and the Nigerian people.
“The true measure of parliament is not the height of its walls, but the depth of its people’s confidence,” Akpabio said.
