Senate President Godswill Akpabio has reaffirmed that the 10th National Assembly will not allow any member’s personal interests or disruptive conduct to undermine its collective integrity.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Eseme Eyiboh, on Saturday, titled “The Trials and Triumphs of a Resilient Nigeria’s 10th Senate,” Akpabio emphasized that the Senate’s commitment to enforcing its Standing Orders is not an attempt to silence dissenting voices but a measure to uphold order, discipline, and the sanctity of democratic institutions.
“The Senate cannot and will not be held hostage by the disruptive instincts of any of its members,” Akpabio stated. “Democracy thrives only when its institutions are respected and its rules upheld. 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.”
Akpabio’s remarks come amid his recent disagreement with Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central), who recently resumed after a six-month suspension and continues to contest the decision.
Defending the Senate’s authority to discipline erring members, Akpabio drew parallels with legislative practices in other democracies, particularly the United Kingdom.
“In the world’s most respected parliaments, members who flout rules face swift consequences. In the British House of Commons, suspension or expulsion is not rare when a member’s behaviour undermines parliamentary dignity. Nigeria’s Senate has every right to apply similar standards,” he said.
He described the 10th Senate as “a chamber of resilience and balance,” asserting that its leadership is committed to maintaining discipline while safeguarding freedom of expression.
“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 noted. “This is how strong legislatures endure — not by silencing dissent, but by ensuring that dissent respects the bounds of procedure.”
Akpabio further described his leadership style as one that values both firmness and inclusion, stressing the need for stability amid growing public skepticism.
“Leadership of this sort does not seek applause; it seeks stability,” he said. “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.”
He concluded by underscoring that discipline remains the hallmark of mature democracies: “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.”
