Akpabio: No senator can hold upper chamber hostage

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has asserted that the National Assembly will not bow to the “disruptive instincts” of any member, stressing that discipline and adherence to parliamentary rules are essential to protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy.

In a statement issued on Saturday by his media aide, Eseme Eyiboh, titled “The Trials and Triumphs of a Resilient Nigeria’s 10th Senate,” Akpabio said enforcing the Senate’s rules is not an attempt to suppress dissent but to preserve order and institutional respect.

“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,” Akpabio said.

Though he did not mention any lawmaker by name, the remarks come amid growing tension over the return of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central), who recently resumed duties after a six-month suspension she continues to challenge.

Akpabio maintained that discipline remains a cornerstone of democratic practice, noting that the Nigerian Senate operates under the same parliamentary principles that guide advanced democracies such as those in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

“The discipline of parliamentary conduct is a universal marker of political civilisation,” he said. “In the United Kingdom’s House of Commons, the Speaker’s authority is absolute and unchallenged. No member, regardless of status, can defy the Speaker’s ruling without consequences.”

He described the Senate’s Standing Orders as a vital framework for fairness and order, not “ceremonial relics from the past,” adding that they safeguard stability and the sanctity of the legislative process.

Akpabio further defended the right of the legislature to sanction members when necessary, drawing parallels with other parliaments where erring lawmakers are suspended or expelled for misconduct.

“In the world’s most respected parliaments, sanctions are swift when members undermine parliamentary dignity. Nigeria’s Senate has every right to uphold similar standards,” he said.

The Senate President described the 10th Senate as “a chamber of resilience and balance,” insisting that its strength lies in collective responsibility rather than individual grandstanding.

“When the chamber asserts that it will not be held hostage by the disruptive instincts of any single member, it is reaffirming that freedom within order is the truest form of democracy,” Akpabio noted.

He also said his leadership style combines firmness with inclusion, as the Senate must remain a stabilising force in a time of increasing populism and public skepticism.

“Leadership of this sort does not seek applause; it seeks stability. By upholding its Standing Orders, the Senate has reclaimed its moral authority and shown that rules, properly enforced, are not instruments of oppression but shields against institutional decay,” he added.

Akpabio’s comments come amid renewed debate on legislative discipline and the boundaries of free expression within Nigeria’s parliamentary system.