Akpabio warns disruptive senators, insisting the National Assembly must uphold discipline and protect Nigeria’s democracy
Akpabio warns disruptive senators that the National Assembly will not be held hostage by unruly behaviour or disregard for parliamentary rules, stressing that discipline and respect for institutional order remain vital to Nigeria’s democratic survival.
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In a statement issued on Saturday by his media aide, Eseme Eyiboh, and titled “The Trials and Triumphs of a Resilient Nigeria’s 10th Senate,” Senate President Godswill Akpabio said enforcing order in the upper chamber was not an act of suppression but a safeguard for democracy.
“The Senate cannot and will not be held hostage by the disruptive instincts of any of its members,” Akpabio declared. “Democracy thrives only when its institutions are respected and its rules upheld.”
Although he did not mention names, Akpabio’s comments came amid renewed tensions surrounding Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central), who recently returned from a six-month suspension that remains contested.
The Senate President emphasised that discipline was not peculiar to Nigeria, describing it as a universal standard across mature democracies such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
“The discipline of parliamentary conduct is a universal marker of political civilisation. In the United Kingdom’s House of Commons, the authority of the Speaker is absolute and unchallenged.
No member, regardless of party or popularity, may openly defy the Speaker’s ruling without consequences,” he said.
Akpabio noted that the Senate’s Standing Orders were not outdated symbols but living principles guiding fairness and consistency in governance.
“The Nigerian Senate’s Standing Orders are not ceremonial relics from the past.
They are the living constitution of the institution, carefully designed to preserve fairness, consistency, and the sanctity of the legislative process,” he explained.
He further defended the right of the legislature to sanction erring members, citing examples from other democracies where lawmakers face suspension or expulsion for misconduct.
“In the world’s most respected parliaments, members who flout rules face swift consequences. The British House of Commons suspends or expels members whose behaviour undermines parliamentary dignity. Nigeria’s Senate has every right to apply similar standards,” he noted.
Describing the 10th Senate as “a chamber of resilience and balance,” Akpabio said its leadership was committed to promoting “freedom within order” as the true essence of democracy.
“When the chamber asserts that it will not be held hostage by the disruptive instincts of any single member, it is affirming the primacy of collective responsibility over individual grandstanding,” he added.
He also said his leadership style was anchored on firmness and inclusion, aimed at preserving stability amid rising populism and public cynicism.
“Leadership of this sort does not seek applause; it seeks stability.
By upholding its Standing Orders, the Senate has reclaimed its moral authority and demonstrated that rules, properly enforced, are not instruments of oppression but shields against institutional decay,” Akpabio stated.
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His remarks come amid renewed debate about legislative discipline, the balance between free expression and parliamentary order, and the evolving role of the National Assembly in strengthening Nigeria’s democratic culture.
