Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has vowed that the National Assembly will not succumb to what he described as the “disruptive instincts” of any of its members, stressing that discipline and respect for parliamentary rules remain essential to safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy.
Akpabio made the declaration in a statement released on Saturday by his media aide, Eseme Eyiboh, titled “The Trials and Triumphs of a Resilient Nigeria’s 10th Senate.”
The Senate President insisted that enforcing the chamber’s standing orders was not about silencing dissent but about preserving order and institutional integrity.
“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, his comments come amid renewed tension following the return of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central), who is still contesting her six-month suspension from the chamber.
Akpabio argued that discipline in parliamentary conduct is a hallmark of advanced democracies, drawing parallels with legislatures in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
“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,” he noted.
He stressed that Nigeria’s Standing Orders are not ceremonial or symbolic, but essential to protecting fairness, stability, and respect for leadership.
“They are the living constitution of the institution, carefully designed to preserve fairness, consistency, and the sanctity of the legislative process,” Akpabio added.
Defending the right of the legislature to discipline erring members, Akpabio said suspensions or expulsions are routine practices in global parliaments when lawmakers undermine legislative dignity.
“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 argued.
Describing the 10th Senate as a chamber of resilience and balance, Akpabio said its leadership was committed to proving 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,” he explained.
He added that his style of leadership combined firmness with inclusion, stressing that the Senate must serve as a stabilising force amid growing populism and public cynicism.
“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 said.
Akpabio’s comments come amid ongoing debates about legislative discipline, the limits of free expression within parliamentary settings, and the balance between individual rights and institutional order in Nigeria’s democracy.
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