President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has said lawmakers are not elected to confront the executive but to foster policies that drive national development.

Speaking in an upcoming feature documentary marking two years of the current administration, Akpabio said, “When elected into the National Assembly, whether Senate or House of Representatives, your constituents do not give you boxing gloves. This is not a boxing tournament. You are here to work in a bipartisan manner for Nigeria’s interests.”

He emphasised that the relationship between the legislature and the Executive has been cordial over the past two years, anchored on a shared vision for the country’s progress.

“If you spend all your energy fighting the Executive, who will work for Nigeria?” he asked. Akpabio added that this administration is unique in Nigeria’s history, with a president, first lady, and vice president all former senators.

Addressing claims that the legislature merely rubber-stamps executive decisions, Akpabio said, “People forget we have made enemies by rejecting some presidential nominees. Not everything the president submits is automatically approved.”

He maintained that the assembly’s role is to scrutinise, amend, and support executive actions aligned with national interest.

“Our job is to cross the t’s and dot the i’s, helping the president deliver the best for Nigerians,” he said.

Akpabio assured that the 10th National Assembly will prioritise pro-people legislation to support the president’s bold reform agenda.

“This government is not about theory but action. We in the National Assembly are focused on pro-people legislation,” he concluded.

Akpabio’s statement comes amid fresh criticism of the current National Assembly by former Senate President Bukola Saraki.

Speaking at the 2025 Reunion Gala of the King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA) in Houston, Texas, Saraki said, “Years after we left office, subsequent leaderships of the National Assembly would rather be a rubber stamp and play dumb because they do not want to go through the harrowing experience that Saraki went through.”