2025 Democracy Day: Saraki Urges Joint Efforts To ‘Strengthen’ Legislature

Former Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki on Thursday called for joint efforts to strengthen the legislature at the federal level noting that this will help to ‘reinforce’ the nation’s democracy.

Lamenting that the National Assembly is gradually becoming a shadow of what a virile and effective parliament should be, he emphasized the need to take needed measures to salvage the situation.

Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Dr Saraki said this in a prepared speech he made available on Facebook on Thursday noting that he had planned to deliver the speech in question to the joint sitting of senate and House of Representatives in Abuja.

Recall that the former Senate President was one of the attendees of the event during which President Bola Tinubu delivered his ‘presidential speech’ to mark the 2025 Democracy Day.

Dr Saraki accused the Executive and Judiciary of helping to undermine the legislature while noting that there is a need to put a stop to this.

‘Let me now say that except we are here to lie to ourselves, we must acknowledge the fact that the National Assembly is gradually becoming a shadow of what a virile and effective parliament should be. We owe it a duty to those who fought for the present democracy that we have and the future generations of Nigeria that will come after us to make the parliamentary institution stronger and more efficient. Today, we seem to be drifting backwards. And we don’t have to go far to find the reason for this sad development. I am convinced that this is not only the fault of the legislature and its leadership.

The executive and judiciary have consistently played key roles in undermining and weakening the National Assembly. From interference in its choice of leadership, misunderstanding its oversight role, and taking its occasional ‘No’ as being antagonistic, the National Assembly has often come under unwarranted and systemic attack.

I want to make a strong appeal to all of us that we need to consciously work hard to make this institution strong and vibrant. We all need to realize that by its nature, its role and character, the parliament is created to say the truth to power and scrutinize what the executive is doing. Sometimes, it will agree with the executive actions and proposals. Other times, it may disagree. One good thing is that its agreement or disagreement should always be in the protection of national interest not that of personal or partisan interest’ he said.

 The National Assembly, he noted, should continue to be open to the people who have grievances or opinions on issues to ventilate their views, ‘whether rational, irrational, positive, or sometimes, negative’ warning that failure to make the federal parliament a place where citizens can get succour may pose a danger to democracy.

‘One of the tenets of democracy is the multiplicity of opinions, freely expressed. If the National Assembly is made helpless and hopeless to the extent that the people cannot find succour there, then they will be left with no option but to run to the streets. And this is dangerous for our democracy’ he said.

Dr Saraki also submitted that the parliament is naturally designed to promote multi-party democracy cogni the parliamentary culture is so designed that the voting system is ‘AYE’ and ‘NAY’ and not expected to be one-sided, one party, and one way.

 ‘It is part of the parliamentary ethos to have the majority and minority votes on any issue. These are indications of different political parties in parliament. While the majority have their way, the minority must have their say. The minority view as represented by the opposition parties is what makes a functional democracy. We need to take note of the significance of that point’ he added while emphasizing the need to improve the participation of young people and women in the National Assembly  citing  the ‘Not Too Young to Run’ Law which is expected to ease things for the people in question in this respect.

The former Senate President commended President Tinubu for choosing to choose the legislative chamber as a place to celebrate the 2025 Democracy Day noting that this has proved that legislature is the bedrock of democracy.

‘This symbolic action speaks volumes. This is an acknowledgment of the fact that among the three arms of government, the one that best symbolizes, represents, and exemplifies democracy, is the parliament. Today, the Nigerian leadership did not gather in Aso Rock Villa, or the foyer of the Supreme Court, or the covered seats of Eagle Square to celebrate democracy. We are here in the Green Chamber of the National Assembly to celebrate representative government. Today’s gathering indicates clearly that the legislature is the bedrock of democracy’ he added-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you