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Beyond the noise: Godswill Akpabio and the Architecture of Stability

Published

4 months ago

February 17, 2026

By Rt. Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, mnipr

Nigerian politics is not for the faint-hearted. It is noisy, dramatic, and often unforgiving. In a space where rumours travel faster than facts and headlines are written before the full story is known, substance can easily be drowned out. Real governance — the slow, patient work of building consensus, following procedure, and making tough decisions — rarely makes for exciting news.

The tenure of Senate President Godswill Akpabio has unfolded in that same charged atmosphere. It has drawn criticism, sparked debate, and generated its share of controversy — some sincere and rooted in genuine concern, some exaggerated for effect. That is the terrain of public life in Nigeria: intense, watchful, and rarely quiet.

Yet to evaluate this leadership solely through the prism of passing storms is to overlook the structure rising beneath the scaffolding. It is to confuse the weather with the architecture. Akpabio’s defining legacy will not be found in the daily churn of sensationalism, but in something far more consequential and far less clamorous: the deliberate stabilization of the legislature and its purposeful alignment with the executive in service of national progress.

Perhaps the most critical — and least celebrated — achievement of the current Senate is the restoration of constructive collaboration between the arms of government. After years in which legislative-executive friction often stalled governance in cycles of ego and brinkmanship, Akpabio has presided over a quiet but decisive shift.

What has emerged is a more mature, problem-solving partnership anchored in the understanding that Nigeria’s challenges transcend partisan divides. Under his stewardship, the 10th Senate has fostered an atmosphere in which policymaking rises above inherited animosities, enabling a focused pursuit of national interest.

Stability has been the oxygen of this Senate. It explains the timely consideration of executive communications, the passage of complex reform bills, and ministerial screenings that have been firm without being obstructionist.

From the presiding officer’s chair, this coherence has given government a more unified voice. In a federation as intricate and delicately balanced as Nigeria, coherence is not optional; it is essential. By prioritizing unity of purpose, Akpabio has repositioned the Senate from a potential arena of paralysis to a functioning engine of reform.

The most visible dividend of this stabilized framework is legislative output. The figures speak for themselves. In two years, the Senate has introduced over 844 bills, passed more than 90, and seen over 58 receive presidential assent under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

This pace — noticeably faster than that of recent assemblies — reflects what many observers describe as Akpabio’s leadership style: one that values efficiency, transparency, and measurable results over political theatrics.

Consider the Minimum Wage Act, a reform with a distinctly human impact. The law more than doubled the national minimum wage from ₦30,000 to ₦70,000 and exempted minimum wage earners from personal income tax. This was not an abstract fiscal adjustment; it was direct relief for millions of households navigating economic pressure.

Complementing this reform is a suite of tax legislation, including the Nigeria Tax Bill and the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill. Together, they represent a structural recalibration of Nigeria’s fiscal framework. By streamlining administration, responsibly broadening the tax base, and introducing targeted relief measures, these reforms have encouraged healthier fiscal competition among states and strengthened revenue generation. Nigeria’s GDP expansion from ₦314.02 trillion in 2023 to ₦372.8 trillion in 2024 stands as one indicator — among many complex factors — of renewed economic momentum supported by legislative-executive synergy.

Beyond macroeconomic indicators, Akpabio’s legislative vision reflects a keen appreciation of Nigeria’s geopolitical realities. His focus has not been confined to national aggregates. Under his leadership, the Senate has established five Regional Development Commissions covering the South East, South West, South South, North West, and North Central zones. These commissions are designed to reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks and accelerate infrastructure and social investment in regions long accustomed to delay.

This is development with strategic intent. It signals inclusion and reassures every zone that it is not peripheral to the national project.

Equally significant is the Local Government Financial Autonomy Act, which strengthens local councils’ control over their resources. By decentralizing both power and accountability — from Kaura Namoda to Urue Offong/Oruko — the law reduces dependency and narrows the space in which petty corruption thrives.

In the sphere of human capital development, the Students Loans Act stands out. Through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, it provides zero-interest loans to students, directly addressing one of the most persistent barriers to social mobility. It is an investment in Nigeria’s most renewable asset: the intellect and ambition of its youth.

Akpabio’s influence has also extended beyond national borders. His leadership roles in international parliamentary forums have contributed to strengthening Nigeria’s voice in global conversations on climate resilience, migration, and development. At home, he has confronted controversy with openness rather than evasion. Allegations of budget padding were addressed in plenary debate, reinforcing institutional credibility.

His support for the removal of fuel subsidies — politically risky yet economically consequential — further demonstrates a willingness to endure short-term discomfort in pursuit of long-term stability. It reflects political courage anchored in conviction.

This posture is consistent with a career marked more by continuity than reinvention. From Governor transforming infrastructure in Akwa Ibom, to Minister of Niger Delta Affairs prioritizing regional development, to Senate President stabilizing the national legislature, the thread is unmistakable. It is this consistency that has led many to regard him as among the most effective Senate President in Nigeria’s political history. The claim is not one of perfection, but of performance — an operational legislature that works, visibly and persistently.

When history eventually asks what Senator Godswill Akpabio will be remembered for, the answer may not lie in the headlines of his era. It will lie in structure. His enduring contribution is the consolidation of legislative stability — transforming the Senate from a potential theatre of obstruction into a nucleus of collaborative policymaking.

That achievement is the platform upon which all else rests. It explains why bills move, why reforms gain traction, and why noise can gradually be shaped into governance. In a polity often pulled apart by centrifugal pressures, Akpabio has chosen to function as a centripetal force — holding the center not through coercion, but through deliberate and strategic harmony

And in doing so, he has supplied what a nation in transition requires most: stability — the firm foundation upon which a more secure future can be built.

•Rt. Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, mnipr, is the Special Adviser, Media/Publicity, and official Spokesperson to the President of the Senate.

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BREAKING: Court sentences Nigerien, two others to death over terrorism

Published

2 days ago

June 24, 2026

Whirlwindnews

Justice Muhammad Nuraddeen Bello of High Court sitting in Sokoto State has sentenced three men, including a foreign national, to death by hanging, after convicting them on charges bordering on terrorism and arms proliferation.

The convicts, Yusuf Muhammad (alias Sallau), a Nigerien; Jabbi Alhaji Yalle; and Kabiru Muhammad, were apprehended on 13th June, 2025, by the Department of State Services (DSS) Counter Terrorism Unit in connection with cross-border criminal activities bordering on arms trafficking and terrorism.

Bello, who found all three defendants guilty as charged and sentenced them to death by hanging, while also ordering the forfeiture of all monetary exhibits recovered from the convicts to the Federal Government, said: “The conviction is the latest in a series of successful prosecutions by the DSS in its sustained operations against terrorism and organised cross-border criminal networks across Nigeria.”

The sentencing is coming about two weeks after the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja sentenced each of the five suspects arrested on May 31, 2026, by the DSS for their involvement in the November 21, 2025, attack on St Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, Niger State, to 25 years’ imprisonment.

Justice Binta Nyako, had handed down the judgment after the men, including two Nigeriens, pleaded guilty to all four terrorism-related charges, bordering on support for the commission of an act of terrorism, breaching both Section 16 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Firearms Act, were pressed against them.

According to Count One, the men were accused of jointly conspiring to assist a terrorist by agreeing and intentionally playing various roles towards conveying 15 AK 103 rifles as well as about 1,434 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition from the Diffa region, Republic of Niger, to one Malam Ahmad, a member of the Boko Haram terrorist group based in Borgu, Niger State, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1) of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

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BREAKING: Primate Ayodele to pay Kwankwaso N10billion over Obi betrayal claim!

Published

2 days ago

June 24, 2026

Whirlwindnews

Primate Elijah Ayodele, is on the verge of coughing out a whopping N10billion, if he fails to offer unrestrained apology to Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Governor of Kano State within the next 24 hours, and retract his claim that the former Minister of Defence is bidding his time to betray Peter Obi, to whom he is to contest the 2027 presidential election as a running mate.

Without doing so, the controversial cleric, should be ready for a major court battle with the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the platform on which the pair is to contest the election.

In a letter indicating a legal action against Ayodele of the INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church over defamatory remarks, Kwankwaso, through Magaji Mato Ibrahim, SAN & Co., his lawyers demanded an immediate retraction and apology from the cleric over the allegations.

Details of the letter, dated June 11, and unveiled through the X platform of the legal team, was based on a viral video recorded during a live-streamed church service, where the preacher made allegations targeting Kwankwaso’s integrity as Peter Obi’s running mate under the NDC.

Quoting the cleric as stating: “KWANKWASO IS A FAKE TO OBI, KWANKWASO WILL BETRAY YOU. KWANKWASO HAS BEEN PAID TO BE VICE PRESIDENT TO OBI AMONG OTHER LIBELOUS COMMENTS WHILE PRETENDING TO BE A PREACHER,” the former governor said the comments were unprovoked, grossly unfounded, and carefully designed to create a rift within the ranks of the political party and its supporters.

Handing Ayodele a 24-hour ultimatum to publish a full and unequivocal retraction across all social media platforms and news outlets with the same prominence as the original video, they also demanded a written undertaking that he would cease and desist from making any further malicious statements against their client, warning that failure to comply, would lead to full legal actions.

The letter stated: “We shall claim substantial damages to the tune of Ten Billion Naira and cost of the action on a full indemnity basis amongst other reliefs.”

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Exploitation of African minerals must stop now – Tinubu *Demands local processing

Published

2 days ago

June 24, 2026

Whirlwindnews

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday demanded the immediate end to the exportation of minerals from countries in Africa in their raw forms, which he said had led to massive exploitation of the continent.

The President, told member countries of the African Minerals Strategy Group (AMSG), a forum of Ministers in charge of Mining and Solid Minerals on the continent to speak with one voice to promote, collective interests, ensure value addition, and prevent the continent from becoming merely a source of raw materials for the rest of the world.

As the Grand Patron of the group, chaired by Dele Alake, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, gave the charge while receiving a delegation of AMSG in the State House, Tinubu told the delegation that the group had a critical role to play in strengthening Africa’s bargaining power in the global mineral market and ensuring that the continent derives maximum value from its natural resources.

His words: “ What we should do is avoid bureaucracy and deceit; we must put an end to exploitation. The rest of the world won’t mind if your country is a cesspit of dams and rubbish and excavates your raw materials without giving value.

“It is our responsibility to collaborate and cooperate to ensure that these metals and minerals bring value to us, bring technology to us, and we can do it. It is how much each country will put into the research, development and refinery. I don’t see reasons we cannot demand centralisation of that conversation somewhere on the continent. So why not utilise that in our research and development and knowledge-based economy to enhance the quality of life and bring prosperity to our people.”

Emphasising that Africa possessed enormous mineral wealth that should be strategically harnessed to drive industrialisation, create jobs and accelerate economic transformation across the continent, the President, said the era of exporting raw minerals without local processing and beneficiation must give way to a new model that encourages investment in local industries, technology transfer and the development of value chains that retain wealth within Africa.

Alake, who had earlier expressed gratitude to the President for his exemplary leadership under the Renewed Hope Agenda, said the gesture had shown support for Nigeria’s mineral sector, especially in the local value-addition and economic diversification drive, where artisanal miners are empowered.

He told the President: “You encouraged us to look at the focal point of the establishment of this group, which is to ensure that the African natural resources, especially with regards to minerals, critical matters, are localised, the beneficiation coming directly to Africans generally.

“You charged us that we should set our sails very high and ensure that local value addition is a pivot around which all the objectives of this organisation should revolve.

“So, sir, we have gone implemented your charge and we are quitted that today local value addition is reverberating all over Africa.”

He added that some member countries have gone ahead to ban the export of raw minerals.

He explained members of the body were in Abuja for the Fifth edition of the African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS 2026), to push for a new continental approach to resource management and industrial development.

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