Senate President Godswill Akpabio stated that the National Assembly will not be held hostage by “disruptive instincts” of its members, insisting the upper chamber must uphold discipline and respect for its rules to preserve the sanctity of Nigerian democracy.
Akpabio made the remark in a statement sent by his media adviser, Eseme Eyiboh, on Saturday, headed “The Trials and Triumphs of a Resilient Nigeria’s 10th Senate.”
He stated that the legislature’s insistence on following its norms was not to silence criticism but to maintain order and the sanctity of democratic institutions.
Akpabio said, “The Senate cannot and will not be held hostage by the disruptive instincts of any of its members.
“Democracy thrives only when its institutions are respected and its rules upheld.”
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central), who recently returned from a six-month suspension and is still contesting it, was mentioned by the Senate President.
Akpabio emphasized the importance of discipline in parliamentary conduct, comparing the Nigerian Senate to legislatures in the United Kingdom.
Akpabio said, “The discipline of parliamentary conduct is a universal marker of political civilization.
“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 contended that the Senate’s norms were not outmoded or symbolic but rather a vital component of governance designed to ensure justice, stability, and respect for leadership.
“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 noted.
Akpabio also defended the right of the legislature to discipline its members when necessary, drawing parallels with other democracies where lawmakers face suspension or expulsion for violating parliamentary order.
“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 behavior undermines parliamentary dignity. Nigeria’s Senate has every right to apply similar standards,” he noted.
The Senate President praised the 10th Senate as “a chamber of resilience and balance” and stated that its leadership was committed to demonstrating that “freedom within order is the truest form 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.
“This is how strong legislatures endure—not by silencing dissent, but by ensuring that dissent respects the bounds of procedure,” Akpabio said.
The former governor of Akwa Ibom State also emphasized that his leadership approach was one of firmness and inclusion, saying the upper chamber must remain a stabilizing force in the face of rising populism and public cynicism.
Akpabio said, “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’s statement comes amid increasing debate over legislative discipline and the boundaries of free expression in parliamentary settings.
