Now that Akpabio, Abbas Have Emerged

Strident assurances by the new Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and House of Representatives’ Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas that the 10th National Assembly will not be a “rubber stamp” of the executive have to be proven by its critical legislative engagements going forward, writes Louis Achi

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu probably would have been quietly amused listening to Senator Godswill Akpabio who emerged president of the 10th Senate attribute his victory with a straight face to “God Almighty, the creator of the universe,” in his inaugural speech.

 It still could not be denied that there was a divine providence in Akpabio’s emergence as President of the Senate given the fiercely fought battle with the brave ‘rebel’ Senator Abdulaziz Yari, the former governor of Zamfara State who pushed the contest to the wire.

 But President Tinubu could also validly claim sole choreography rights of the Akpabio project.

In Senator Akpabio’s words: “It is time now to go forward with the task set before us as a collective body – the promulgation of laws and enactments for the well-being and security of the country and as a check on the executive arm of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in our oversight functions.

“…Our laws must therefore, align with the vision of Mr. President to protect and provide for our people at the innermost core of their essence while our actions must also guarantee the best and most efficient use of our national commonwealth.

 “…We must, therefore, as a Senate, rise to partner with His Excellency the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and provide the required legislative framework and legal environment for him to anchor the policies and programmes that he espouses for the country,” Akpabio explained.

If the former governor of Akwa Ibom State and ex-Minister of Niger Delta Affairs who scored 63 votes against Yari’s 46 votes spoke with some restrained flourish, the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, spoke with more bombast.

Abbas, who addressed journalists on Tuesday after meeting with President Tinubu at Aso Villa, Abuja, said his victory as the speaker of the 10th House had put to shame those who doubted his chances of winning.

He dismissed concerns that the 10th House would be a “rubber stamp,” insisting that the National Assembly won’t allow the executive arm to take decisions against the interest of the public.

His words: “Well, if you talk about rubber stamp, look at the acceptance rate of those who elected us across party lines.

“So, if they felt that we are going to be a rubber stamp, do you think they will elect us? No. They believe that we will safeguard the sanctity of the National Assembly.

“As legislators, we will always separate our independence and we will relate and be able to harmonise with the executive where necessary. But where there is conflict of interest where we feel that the executive is or wants to do something that is not in the interest of the public, they know that we’ll stand up against that,” Abbas declared.

Just as in the case of Senators Akpabio and Barau Jibrin, Tinubu had also endorsed Abbas as Speaker and Ben Kalu as his deputy. Several aspirants that had opposed Abbas subsequently stepped down at the last-minute following the president’s intervention.

Other aspirants like Sada Soli and Miriam Onuoha who did not officially announce their withdrawal from the race, later voted for Abbas.

Abbas, who represents Zaria Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, emerged as Speaker with 353 voice votes, while his opponents, Idris Wase and Aminu Jaji, polled three votes each in the election where 359 members voted. Abbas was voted for by lawmakers from all the political parties in the House.

There is however, anxiety as many Nigerians believe that the 10th National Assembly may turn out to be Tinubu’s rubber stamp given the president’s overarching influence in installing its leadership.

This belief was reinforced last week by a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, who declared that the era of the legislature standing against the “tyranny” of the executive is long gone.

According to him, “Without sounding a bit pessimistic, I believe that the days of standing up to executive tyranny in the legislature have long faded. These days, there is no road to Damascus. I think redemption or salvation is very far.”

The former speaker said members of the executive should desist from interfering in the election of presiding officers of the National Assembly.

His words: “Taking the position we are advocating requires resistance. Now, resistance is not by comfort, it entails suffering and sacrifice and when you resist, you tend to lose a lot.

“Any democracy that cuts itself off from checks and balances severs its lifeline and then bleeds to death. Why should someone who has been elected into an executive position seek to control the emergence of the leadership of the parliament that is supposed to be independent?” he queried.

However, if significant gloom is perceived to have enveloped the election that produced the principal officers on account of alleged massive executive interference, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, a Tinubu protégé, provides a flip perspective to lighten the pessimism.

 “The outcome of the elections, which all of us have seen, has reflected real democracy. The elections were very transparent and reflected the views of all the members-elect. They (lawmakers) have been able to choose their leaders freely, justly, and equitably. I am indeed proud of them,” the governor added. 

The issue of legislative independence as a critical hedge against executive tyranny has dominated political discourse for decades – and with good reason.

It could be recalled that separation of powers is one of the devices used by the Euro-American systems of government to protect the rule of law and prevent exercise of arbitrary power by the sovereign. This doctrine is anchored on checks and balances among the three arms of government which Nigeria modeled her democracy after.

Today, many legitimately wonder if indeed the principle of separation of power applies to the country’s governing system beyond structural rhetoric. Besides the judiciary, how independent is the legislature, which is the key symbol of every democracy?

The palpable collusion between the ninth National Assembly led by Senator Ahmad Lawan and former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had the ultimate impact of whittling down the freedoms guaranteed by the country’s constitution. The extreme national debt trap it facilitated is a point of deep national shame and danger.

Now that Akpabio and Abbas have emerged as leaders of the 10th National Assembly, despite the legitimate reservations by critical stakeholders, they must indeed assert their independence to facilitate the bold transformation of Nigeria’s troubled situation.