— Says high turnover weakens legislative experience and institutional memory
— Cites Robert Byrd’s 51-year US Senate career
By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — Senate President Godswill Akpabio has urged political parties and governors to prioritise legislative experience in selecting candidates, warning that high turnover among Nigerian lawmakers weakens institutional memory and undermines parliamentary effectiveness.
Akpabio said the Senate should not be treated as a platform for distributing political rewards, arguing that experienced lawmakers should be given opportunities to return and contribute to lawmaking and national development.
He spoke on Thursday during deliberations on a motion seeking urgent shoreline protection for Aiyetoro community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, sponsored by Senator Dayo Faduyile (APC, Ondo South).
The Senate president said it was undesirable for a lawmaker to spend only one year in the chamber before leaving, stressing that continuity was important for building legislative capacity and strengthening democracy.
“It is not good for a senator to serve in the Senate for only one year and then leave. Political parties must take a closer look at their decisions, particularly when dealing with serious-minded individuals who can make meaningful contributions to legislation and national development,” he said.
Akpabio argued that denying experienced lawmakers return tickets deprived the legislature of valuable knowledge and expertise.
He specifically cited Faduyile, a former president of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), as someone whose experience could benefit the Senate.
“I know that, as a former president of the Nigerian Medical Association, you have a lot to contribute to this legislature,” he said.
Akpabio added that, although he was not from Ondo State and was unfamiliar with the political considerations behind the decision concerning Faduyile, he would have intervened if the matter had arisen in his own state.
The Senate president, however, praised Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno for supporting the return of the three senators representing the state.
He said the governor’s decision demonstrated the value of retaining lawmakers who could continue contributing to legislative business.
“The Senate is not a place for sharing political largesse,” Akpabio declared.
To illustrate the importance of legislative continuity, he cited the United States, where former Senator Robert Byrd represented West Virginia in Congress for more than five decades, while former President Joe Biden served in the Senate from 1973 to 2009.
Akpabio said Nigerian lawmakers seeking engagements with experienced senators abroad could find their schedules fully occupied, sometimes requiring appointments to be deferred.
“That is the reality. We must ensure that the legislature is firmly entrenched in Nigeria’s democratic system and is not treated as a place for political compensation,” he said.
He added that the quality of legislation had direct implications for governance and the lives of citizens, urging lawmakers to focus on enacting laws that addressed national challenges.
“The quality of our laws determines the quality of governance. If we do not make good laws, how can we ensure that Nigeria is properly governed? We must enact laws that genuinely improve the lives of Nigerians,” he said.
Akpabio also cited the recent debate on the decriminalisation of suicide, which attracted considerable discussion on social media, as evidence of growing public interest in the Senate’s proceedings.
He said the reaction underscored the need for lawmakers to remain responsive to public concerns, deepen democracy through effective legislation and strengthen the legislature as a central institution of Nigerian democracy.
The post Senate not for political compensation, Akpabio tells parties appeared first on Vanguard News.