Lawmakers Beg Tinubu To Restore Their Police Orderlies

Members of the National Assembly have called on President Bola Tinubu to reconsider the recent withdrawal of their police escorts, citing security concerns amid growing threats across the country.

The appeal came during the joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives for the presentation of the 2026 budget.

Senator Godswill Akpabio, speaking on behalf of legislators, emphasised the importance of constitutional partnership between the executive and the legislature.

He noted that democratic progress depends on institutions working together with accountability, transparency and courage.

“Many view the collaboration between the National Assembly and the executive as a compromise, but history shows that nations advance when the legislature and the executive act in concert,” Akpabio said.

He cited the United States during the Franklin Roosevelt era and post-war Britain under Clement Attlee, highlighting how institutional cooperation facilitated national recovery and long-term development.

He stressed that Nigeria’s progress depends on similar collaboration.

“Great national decisions like budgeting acquire meaning when the executive and legislature work together, not in rivalry. Stability deepens, reforms take root, and progress becomes possible,” he added.

Akpabio noted that the National Assembly had made significant contributions over the past year, passing landmark bills in security, economic reform, governance, judicial administration, electoral integrity, infrastructure development and social protection.

These legislative achievements, he argued, provide a stronger framework for national security and economic growth.

However, he expressed concern over the withdrawal of police protection for legislators, stressing that public safety remains a shared responsibility of the executive and the legislature.

“We do not see these tragedies as mere statistics but as human lives, fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters, whose safety is the first duty of government,” he said.

He reiterated the National Assembly’s commitment to work with the executive to strengthen legal and budgetary frameworks, enhance oversight, and support security agencies in safeguarding citizens.

The lawmakers’ plea underscores growing concerns about personal security for public officials in the face of rising insecurity, even as Nigeria navigates economic and social reforms under the 2026 budget framework.