We were not elected to wear boxing gloves – Akpabio

Akpabio

By KEMI KAYODE

President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, said lawmakers were not elected to engage in confrontation with the Executive but to foster policies that promote national development.

The Senate President spoke in an upcoming feature documentary to mark two years of the Bola Tinubu administration.

Akpabio, reflecting on the importance of cooperation between the National Assembly and the Executive, said:

“When elected into the National Assembly, whether in the Senate or the House of Representatives, your constituents will not give you boxing gloves. It’s not a boxing tournament. You are there to work in a bipartisan manner for the interest of Nigeria.”

The Senate President emphasised that the relationship between both arms of government has been cordial over the past two years, owing to a shared vision for the country’s progress.

“If you spend all your energy fighting the Executive, who will work for Nigeria?” he asked. He added that the current administration is unique in Nigeria’s history, with a President, First Lady, and Vice President, all former senators.

Highlighting legislative priorities, Akpabio revealed that the National Assembly is working on a bill mandating ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to prioritise procuring locally assembled vehicles over imported alternatives.

“We have started the bill for enacting legislation to enable us first purchase automobiles from Nigerian companies before thinking of importing them,” he said.