News

10th Senate: The uncommon renaissance

Published

10 months ago

August 8, 2025

Whirlwindnews

By Ken Harries Esq

In the kaleidoscopic turbulence of Nigerian politics, where discord often drowns out dialogue and egos flare like harmattan wildfires, the 10th Senate under Senate President Godswill Akpabio has emerged as a lighthouse of stability, reform, and nation-building. Since its inauguration on 13 June, 2023, following the proclamation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Red Chamber has not merely occupied its hallowed halls; it has transformed them into a crucible of progress and a bastion of democratic resilience.

Akpabio, once christened the Uncommon Transformer for his transformative achievements as Governor of Akwa Ibom State, has brought the same audacity of vision to national legislative leadership. With strategic foresight, inclusive diplomacy, and a Nigerian pragmatism that can coax cooperation even from the most unlikely quarters, he has wielded the gavel with conviction.

As the 10th Senate marked its second anniversary on 13 June, 2025, the record spoke for itself: 844 bills introduced, 96 passed, and 55 assented to by the President. This output is not merely arithmetic; it is the living pulse of a democracy that works when guided by vision, courage, and resolve.

● Navigating crisis: Fuel subsidy removal

The emergence of Akpabio as Senate President was not a gentle procession but a contest of wills. His victory, forged in the crucible of democratic competition against seasoned heavyweights such as Senators Abdulaziz Yari and Orji Uzor Kalu, testified to his mastery of coalition-building. Partnering Senator Barau Jibrin as Deputy Senate President, Akpabio wove together the allegiance of over 65 senators from across political divides. That foundation of unity, painstakingly crafted, became indispensable in the months that followed.

The first test came swiftly. President Tinubu’s declaration of fuel subsidy removal, made during his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, threatened to ignite a national inferno. Overnight, the pump price of fuel tripled. Families groaned, transport fares skyrocketed, and anger simmered across the land. Nigeria stood on the brink of upheaval. Many feared a collapse into chaos.

Yet it was in this cauldron of crisis that the 10th Senate under Akpabio showed its mettle. Through open plenary debates, robust committee briefings, and nationwide media engagements, the Senate demystified the policy. Akpabio, speaking with the calm authority of a village elder settling a quarrel in the marketplace, reminded Nigerians that the subsidy had become a millstone choking the nation’s future.

Crucially, the Senate did not stop at rhetoric. Working with the Executive, it ensured that the savings, over ₦4 trillion within the first year, were redirected into measures with immediate and visible impact. The Student Loan Scheme opened doors for young Nigerians previously locked out of higher education. Infrastructure projects sprang up from Lagos to Maiduguri, stitching together the nation’s geography. Social welfare programmes, including conditional cash transfers, put money directly into the hands of the most vulnerable.

The results, though still unfolding, are undeniable. Deregulation unleashed competition, allowing market forces to spur efficiency in the petroleum sector. Supply chains began to stabilise. Private investment, long wary of Nigeria’s fiscal unpredictability, began to return. What could have been a national conflagration instead became a bold step towards renewal, all thanks to a Senate that chose dialogue and decisiveness over dithering.

● Legislative achievements: Reforming Nigeria’s economy

If the Senate’s role in stabilising the polity earned respect, its legislative record secured admiration. Within two years, the chamber introduced 844 bills, passed 96, and saw 55 assented to by the President. This legislative tempo, unmatched in recent Nigerian history, reflected not only productivity but also purpose.

The handling of the Tax Reform Bills exemplifies this. Greeted with widespread scepticism and outright rejection when first introduced, they could have derailed public trust. Instead of ramming them through, Akpabio’s Senate paused, listened, and recalibrated.

Extensive consultations with stakeholders, from business leaders to labour unions, produced refined legislation now hailed as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s business-friendly fiscal environment. Today, tax laws are streamlined to encourage enterprise, attract foreign direct investment, and boost government revenue without stifling growth.

The Senate’s oversight responsibilities have also been exercised with unusual vigour. The visit to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, was not a ceremonial photo opportunity but a substantive fact-finding mission. Lawmakers scrutinised tax incentives, assessed operational hurdles, and engaged with management on how best to support industrial growth while safeguarding public interest. This pragmatic approach ensured that Nigeria’s legislative framework reflects not only theoretical ideals but the lived realities of its industrial champions.

To be clear, reform has cut across sectors. The Central Bank Act (Amendment) brought stability to the volatile forex market, restoring investor confidence. The National Steel Development Act revived the long-neglected dream of industrial self-reliance, promising jobs, infrastructure, and renewed national pride. The Social Security for Unemployed Graduates Bill, designed to address youth disillusionment, sent a powerful signal that the Senate recognises and responds to the anxieties of Nigeria’s ambitious young population.

In every case, Akpabio’s Senate has shown that reform is not about ticking boxes but about weaving policies that speak to Nigeria’s heartbeat: its people, their aspirations, and their struggles.

● Tackling insecurity: A new approach

No democracy can thrive if its citizens live in fear. Nigeria’s struggle with insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, and farmers-herders clashes has long cast a shadow over national progress. Akpabio’s Senate has confronted this existential threat with both urgency and creativity.

The National Security Summit convened by the Senate was historic in scope and significance. Bringing together security chiefs, state governors, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, and community leaders, it broke down silos and replaced blame with collaboration. The summit produced actionable blueprints addressing not only military strategy but also the socio-economic roots of violence.

Legislation has supported this approach. The Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act tightened restrictions on illegal weapons, cutting off lifelines to criminal networks. The Terrorism Prevention and Prohibition Act strengthened the legal framework for combating extremism.

At the same time, the Senate recognised that no arsenal of weapons could substitute for hope. Bills like the Out-of-School Children Education Act sought to close vulnerabilities that extremists exploit. Social welfare and job creation programmes have been expanded to ensure that Nigeria’s vast youth population, numbering over 130 million, becomes a shield against instability rather than a breeding ground for it.

Perhaps the most symbolic act of renewal came with the Senate’s decision to revert to Nigeria’s original national anthem, “Nigeria, We Hail Thee.” It was more than nostalgia. It was a bold statement of unity and rebirth, a call for Nigerians to rediscover common ground in a nation often fractured by ethnicity, religion, and politics. From the creeks of the Niger Delta to the savannahs of the North, the anthem now resonates as a reminder that national identity is as vital to security as soldiers and patrols.

● Global Recognition: An uncommon parliamentary diplomatic institution

Under Akpabio, the 10th Senate has ensured that Nigeria’s legislative leadership resonates far beyond its borders. His election to the Executive Committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in 2023, breaking a 59-year absence, restored Nigeria’s presence in the heart of global parliamentary diplomacy.

That reassertion of Nigeria’s voice culminated in July 2025 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, where Akpabio addressed the Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments. His speech, “Courage to Legislate, Will to Lead,” was no perfunctory presentation. It was a manifesto of resilience. “Multilateralism must not become a rhetoric. It must rise as a movement of resolve,” he declared, urging parliaments to act as “peace architects” rather than ceremonial scribes. His tapestry metaphor, that when one corner of humanity is torn, the whole fabric weakens, resonated with delegates and reinforced Nigeria’s role as a voice of conscience for the Global South.

At home, executive-legislature synergy has reached unprecedented heights. For the first time in Nigeria’s history, President Tinubu delivered the Democracy Day address to a joint session of the National Assembly. The event not only underscored institutional parity but also saw the presiding officers conferred with national honours.

Far from being a rubber stamp, the Senate under Akpabio has shown that cooperation can coexist with vigilance. The swift passage of the 2024 Appropriation Act, which prioritised infrastructure, healthcare, and defence, exemplified efficiency. Yet the Senate has also pushed back when policies risked overburdening citizens, including on electricity tariff hikes.

Akpabio’s oft-repeated maxim, “Stability is the oxygen of development,” has become the doctrine guiding this balance. By fostering stability at home and credibility abroad, the 10th Senate has positioned Nigeria not only as Africa’s largest democracy but also as a parliament of consequence in the community of nations.

● Towards an uncommon legacy: The 10th Senate’s irreversible impact

Two years into its tenure, the 10th Senate has already etched itself into the annals of Nigeria as a legislature of courage and consequence. Yet the work is far from done. Challenges remain: closing the yawning gender gap in representation, ensuring that anti-corruption oversight translates into enforcement, taming inflationary pressures, and consolidating security gains. The Reserved Seats for Women Bill, under consideration, could be a turning point for inclusivity, while electoral reforms in the lead-up to 2027 could cement the Senate’s legacy as a true vanguard of democracy.

What is already clear is that under Akpabio’s steady hand, the Red Chamber has shed its reputation as a theatre of chaos and embraced its role as a crucible of progress. From stabilising the nation in the wake of fuel subsidy removal to revitalising economic policy, confronting insecurity with wisdom and urgency, and amplifying Nigeria’s global voice, this Senate has laid a foundation for irreversible national renewal.

To demonstrate that his leadership approach is deliberate and well thought through, Senator Akpabio himself declares, “Stability is the oxygen of development, and courage is the compass of leadership. With both, no nation can fail.”

To give honour where it is due, it must be recognised that the 10th Senate is not merely another Senate ensemble. It is an uncommon renaissance. Its work under Senate President Akpabio is already shaping the destiny of a nation determined to rise, ensuring that the 10th Senate’s legacy is not just a chapter in Nigeria’s history but a blueprint for its future.

•Ken Harries Esq is an Abuja-based Development Communication Specialist

Share this story:

News

ADC spits fire! Demands arrest of Lifu *Says, Abuja judge, playing with fire!

Published

24 hours ago

June 16, 2026

Whirlwindnews

“He is running in contempt of the court. Justice Lifu should be arrested because he is acting in contempt of the court which is a criminal act,” were the exact words with which the African Democratic Congress (ADC), demonstrated its angst over the court ruling on Monday, ordering its de-registration as a political party in Nigeria.

A furious Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the party, told his host while appearing as a guest on Monday’s edition of Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television that the judge of the Abuja Federal High Court who gave the order was actually playing with fire because of the consequences.

Directly accusing him of playing the script of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to ensure that President Bola Tinubu emerged the sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election, the party spokesman, was emphatic that the plan would not work, as head or tail, ADC must be on the ballot in all the elections.

Hear him: “There is a Court of Appeal order saying don’t hear this case until October 27. So, on what basis? You can’t place something on nothing. The Court of Appeal said don’t act on this until I hear it on October 27. So, on what basis did he deliver the judgement

“So, for us in the African Democratic Congress, what we’re convinced and they know is what they have done has no leg to stand on legally. What they want to do is to create doubts in the minds of the people that this ADC has too many legal cases, can we actually run on this? And to distract us. But we’re not distracted.

“We’re very clear. It was in spite of all they have done since ADC came on board that we ran one of the best and one of the most comprehensive direct primaries in the history of democracy in Nigeria. So, we are strong enough to withstand this. And that’s why I’m saying that we are going to contest in 2027. We’re ADC. We don’t buckle before dictatorship.”

Stressing on the implication of the judgement, which also affected Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) for allegedly failing to meet constitutional and electoral performance requirements, following a suit by the National Forum of Former Legislators, he said it portended grave danger.

He added: “We are not surprised. We know that the Nigerian people believe that there is a problem with the judiciary, but what we did not expect is the level of judicial rascality that was demonstrated today.

“What we are saying is that we reject it in its totality, and we are saying that the people behind this are playing with fire. Hundreds, if not thousands, have obtained nomination forms and contested elections and emerged as candidates on the platform of the ADC.”

Share this story:

News

Deregistration of ADC: Don’t destroy democracy, Obi warns judiciary

Published

24 hours ago

June 16, 2026

Whirlwindnews

Peter Obi, candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), in the 2027 presidential election, is peeved at the decision of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordering the de-registration of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying the move is a heavy blow and dangerous to Nigeria’s democracy.

Justice Peter Lifu, who made the order, based on an action brought by National Forum of Former Legislators, agreed that the parties, including Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), failed to meet the requirement for continued existence in Nigeria.

But Obi, who left the ADC coalition to join the NDC, incidentally, based on what he explained resulted from the multiple court cases hanging on its neck, expressed his disenchantment, in a statement by the Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR), on Monday.

Signed by Ibrahim Umar, its spokesman, the group quoted the former Governor of Anambra State as decrying the growing damage to the nation’s sacred institutions on the altar of politics.

Stressing that the rise of nations depended on stronger institutions devoid of political influences, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, wrote on his X platform: “When the controversy surrounding the removal of the former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Walter Onnoghen, unfolded, I expressed a concern to a friend: that the greatest damage might not be immediate, but the message it sends about the sanctity and independence of our institutions to the world.

“Strong economies are built on trust. Investors can manage security risks, policy risks, and even market risks. What they fear most is uncertainty in the rule of law and a judiciary that is perceived to be vulnerable to political pressure.

“Today, many Nigerians have lost confidence in systems that should protect them. Businesses increasingly request that their contracts be governed by foreign jurisdictions because they have greater confidence in those institutions than in our own. That should concern every patriot.

“We must never sacrifice our sacred institutions on the altar of politics. Nations rise when institutions are stronger than individuals. The Federal High Court judgment ordering the deregistration of the ADC and other political parties is just one of those activities that further reduces the common man’s trust in our legal systems. It should be reversed.

“I pledge that we will restore the dignity, independence, and integrity of the judiciary. The common man must have a voice. The business community must be protected from legal uncertainty and intimidation. Justice must be impartial, accessible, and respected by all. To our judges, legal luminaries, senior advocates, and lawyers: this is your moment. Rise, defend the rule of law, take back your country! A new Nigeria is POssible.”

Share this story:

News

Cape Verde stuns global pundits with barren draw against Spain

Published

1 day ago

June 16, 2026

Whirlwindnews

Not even Lamine Yamal’s second half introduction could help Spain break through the defence of debutants, Cape Verde, in their first ever meeting, as the ongoing World Cup event produced another one of the stunning results on Monday.

Yamal, the Barcelona superstar just recovering from a near two-month hamstring injury, was brought into the game in the second half to zest up the one-time world champion, but failed to break down the Cape Verde’s dogged defence.

Spain’s in the game played in Atlanta, one of the cities hosting the three-nation Mundial, displayed the same dismal outing, which saw them offering far less than the quality, which saw them lifting the trophy for the first time in 2010.

The European champions, which have not won a knockout game ever since, failed to dominate the African side, replicating their less than impressing outings and their eventual exit in 2018 and 2022 editions, even with the claims of coach Luis de la Fuente that the squad was the best in the competition, Spain were considered among the pre-tournament.

Neither Yamal nor Nico Williams, who also was hit by an injury-disrupted season at Athletic Bilbao and was not introduced until the 87th minute, were able to rise to the occasion against the 500,000 people African side, ranked 67 in the world, which is making their debut on the global stage.

In stark contrast to the searing temperatures faced by some other sides, Atlanta’s state-of-the-art air conditioned stadium meant there was no excuses for the slow tempo of Spain’s build-up.

Indeed the mid-half hydration break was met by boos with fans frustrated at the break in play despite the cool conditions.

The only serious move from the European champions only came at the sixth minute to half-time, when Marc Cucurella, fresh for sealing his move from Chelsea to Real Madrid, sent over a teasing cross that Ferran Torres turned onto the crossbar and Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha got back on his feet to turn Mikel Oyarzabal’s looping header over the bar.

Even after the break, the Blue Sharks, were also able to hold back from the onslaught as they did in the first half, where Vozinho, managed to make another superlative save against Aymeric Laporte’s header just before half-time.

Despite the excitement from the crowd after he was introduced, Yamal, billed as one of the stars of the tournament, failed to create any magic with his first touch being the set-up of a decent opening for fellow substitute Mikel Merino which was too close to Vozinha.

In fact, Cabo Verde billed to take on Uruguay in Miami, nearly snatched a famous victory in the final minute of the 90 when Dani Borges planted a header too close to Unai Simon, who saved the occasion, to prevent the former world champions, billed to face Saudi Arabia in Atlanta on Sunday from humiliation.

Share this story: