Akpabio Asks Senators To Deliver Reforms, Prioritise National Interests

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has challenged senators to embrace urgency, discipline and reform-minded lawmaking as the Senate resumed plenary yesterday, marking the first sitting of 2026 after the Christmas and New Year recess.

In a welcome address at the plenary, Akpabio reminded the senators that the 10th Senate was entering the decisive phase of its tenure, with less than one year and five months left in the current legislative cycle.

The former Akwa Ibom governor stressed that the period ahead must be deliberately reform-driven and urged the lawmakers to focus on legislation that delivers tangible national benefits.

“The 10th Senate has now entered the final stretch of its legislative journey. With less than one year and five months remaining in this cycle, we are no longer merely settling into pace—we are approaching the decisive phase.

“This is the final stretch of the marathon, and it is the stretch that separates participation from performance. It demands urgency without panic, reform without recklessness and productivity without compromise of standards. This final phase must be deliberately reform-driven.

“We must prioritise laws that unlock growth, secure life and property, and restore confidence in the Nigerian state. We must resist the temptation to leave unfinished business and legislative clutter behind. What we pass now must be what Nigeria truly needs now—laws that work, reforms that endure and oversight that corrects rather than merely criticises,” he said.

Akpabio said the concluding phase of the Senate’s work should also be defined by institutional order and completion of pending legislative tasks, rather than the volume of bills passed.

The Senate President also urged the senators to reflect on the long-term implications of their decisions and the kind of nation they would leave behind.

Addressing the immediate legislative priorities before the Senate, he said the lawmakers were expected to move swiftly on key national assignments, particularly the budget.

“It must also be a legacy phase—a time of house-cleaning: clearing bottlenecks, completing what we started, and leaving behind a legislative house that is orderly, principled, and functional. History will not judge us by volume, but by value; not by noise, but by impact.

“We are therefore hitting the ground running. The budget calls for decisive action—rigorous scrutiny, responsible passage, and faithful implementation.

“Our work ahead requires sustained collaboration with all stakeholders, including the Executive, guided always by mutual respect and constitutional responsibility. Cooperation remains our compass—not for convenience, but for national progress.,” he noted.

He reminded senators that their ultimate responsibility was to the Nigerian people.

Akpabio concluded by urging members to approach the remaining months of the 10th Senate with purpose and resolve.

“This is our moment of reckoning—not one of fear, but of purpose. The clock is running, the nation is watching, and history is taking notes. Let it be said that when the 10th Senate reached the final stretch, it did not slow down, look away or leave the work unfinished.

“Let it be said that we ran harder, thought deeper, acted bolder, and served better—so that long after we leave these seats, Nigeria will remember us not merely as legislators, but as trustees who honoured the future. Let us rise to that memory. Let us finish strong,” he urged.

The Senate resumed plenary amid a packed legislative agenda, with the scrutiny of President Bola Tinubu’s ₦58.47trn 2026 Appropriation Bill and proposed far-reaching amendments to Nigeria’s electoral laws topping the list.

Earlier, the Senate leader , Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, said both chambers of the National Assembly would immediately commence consideration of the budget and other priority bills.

Bamidele also assured that the National Assembly would fast-track the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution, promising that the exercise would be concluded and transmitted to state legislatures by the first quarter of 2026.