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 stressed that the legislature’s insistence on enforcing its rules was not about stifling dissent but about maintaining order and protecting democratic institutions.
Although he did not name anyone directly, Akpabio’s remarks come amid growing tension over Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central), who recently returned to the Senate after a six-month suspension that she continues to contest.
“The Senate cannot and will not be held hostage by the disruptive instincts of any of its members,” Akpabio declared, adding that discipline in parliamentary conduct is the hallmark of every mature democracy.
He drew parallels with legislatures in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, noting that in the UK’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 said.
According to him, the Senate’s rules are not symbolic or outdated but are essential to maintaining fairness, stability, and respect for leadership.
Describing the 10th Senate as “a chamber of resilience and balance,” Akpabio said its leadership aims to show 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 said.
He further noted that strong legislatures endure not by silencing dissent, but by ensuring that dissent stays within procedural bounds.
Akpabio said his leadership approach is based on firmness and inclusion, adding that the Senate must remain a stabilising force amid rising 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 shown that rules, properly enforced, are not instruments of oppression but shields against institutional decay,” he concluded.
