Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has called on his colleagues to ignore critics who have described the 10th National Assembly as rubber stamp.
Akpabio, who stated this on Thursday in his address of welcome at a joint session of the National Assembly to host President Bola Tinubu, said that the critics did not know the workings of the parliament.
While lauding the president for his achievements in two years, Akpabio noted that those who had been criticising the federal lawmakers had no idea of why they are in the parliament.
“We should ignore the critics who tag us rubber stamp. They don’t know why we are here,” he said.
Akpabio also called on the president to establish a June 12 Museum to archive the works of pro-democracy advocates, some of whom paid the supreme price in the interest of the nation.
“The National Assembly is proud to host you — our President, our compatriot and one of our own — as you fulfill the solemn constitutional duty of addressing the nation.
“This chamber honours you, not merely as the President, but as one of the architects of the very democratic foundation we commemorate today.
“Today, we gather not to mourn injustice, but to honour resilience. We observe not the triumph of politicians, but the enduring faith of the Nigerian people in democracy.
“A faith that survived betrayal, braved teargas, defied armored tanks, endured silence and still chose the ballot over the bullet.
“On June 12, 1993, the torch of the long march to freedom was lit. Nigerians stood up to say: Our voice matters. Our vote counts,” he said.
Akpabio said that Nigeria did not just lose an election; it lost its innocence, adding that across the country, the silence of shock was broken by the roar of resistance.
“So, as we mark this day, let us remember those who bled so we could vote; those who took risks so we could speak; those who were buried so that freedom might rise.
“Let us also pay tribute to all those who played pivotal roles in Nigeria’s democratic transition,” he said.
The senate president said that this year’s theme—“26 Years of Democracy: Renewing Our Commitment to National Development”— was not a slogan but a call to purpose.
He also said that it was a reminder that democracy was not an end but a means to national transformation.
The senate president said that under Tinubu’s leadership, there had been transformation in his bold approach to carry out difficult reforms.
He listed some of the reforms to include: unification of foreign exchange market, local government autonomy, formation of regional development commissions and establishment of Nigerian Education Loan Fund, among others.
