The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has reaffirmed that Nigeria’s democracy remains strong and evolving, with continued efforts to deepen inclusiveness, justice, and accountability in governance.
He made this known on Monday through the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Monguno, at the House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Review’s Consultation with Leaders of Political Parties in Abuja.
“That our Constitution must live, breathe, and grow with the times. Let me begin by saluting the House Committee on Constitution Review. You have done what true patriots do – you have called the nation to reflection, not reaction; to reform, not rhetoric. This engagement with political parties is not routine – it is historic. It says to the world that Nigeria’s democracy is alive and still learning, still listening, still leading,” Senator Akpabio said.
He said that the issues to be examined by the constitutional Review Committee are justice, security, inclusion, and accountability, as well as judicial and electoral reforms, local government autonomy, special seats for women, state policing, and human rights.
“An election is not a ceremony; it is the soul of democracy. And justice is not a luxury; it is the backbone of peace. When elections fail, trust dies. When justice delays, faith decays. That is why we must renew both our ballots and our benches. We must strengthen INEC, shield our courts from corruption, and restore the people’s confidence in their institutions. In India, reforms made voting accessible even in the remotest villages. In South Africa, the Constitution enshrines judicial independence as sacred.
” We can do the same – not by copying others, but by perfecting ourselves,” he said.
He said that true federalism begins in the grassroots, and the grassroots must be strengthened.
“True federalism begins at the grassroots. If the government does not work in the village, it has failed in the capital. We must free our local governments from the chains of dependency. Development must have a human face — and that face must be visible in every ward, every street, every home. And what of the women of Nigeria,– the pillars of every family, the architects of every community?.
A democracy that sidelines its women weakens itself. Across the world, the evidence is clear: in Rwanda, women lead more than sixty per cent of parliament; in Finland, women shape policy and governance with distinction. Where women rise, nations thrive. It is time for Nigeria to move from the language of sympathy to the policy of inclusion,” the Senate President said.
He noted that security must evolve and be local before it can be national.
“A nation as vast as ours cannot be protected from a single command post. The call for state policing is not rebellion; it is realism. In the United States, in India, and even in Brazil, local policing works side by side with national forces – coordinated, not conflicting. But in seeking safety, we must not sacrifice freedom.
The hand that guards must not gag. The shield of the state must never become a sword against its citizens, he said.
He also reaffirmed that the National Assembly stands ready to collaborate with the Executive and all stakeholders in the noble
task.
“Our responsibility is not to preserve power, but to protect the people. Our mission is not to obstruct, but to construct – laws that heal, not harden; reforms that renew, not rupture. This review process is proof that democracy is not a monument; it is a movement. Each generation must refine it, renew it, and make it better than they found it”. He said.
He stressed that the Constitution is not a piece of paper but the promise of a people.
“Let us therefore rise above party lines and regional divides. Let us remember that the strength of Nigeria lies not in her oil or land but in her people and in their will to build together. I commend once again the House Committee on Constitution Review for its vision and patriotism. You remind us that democracy is not self-sustaining – it must be constantly defended and deliberately deepened.
“If we do this, if we stay true to the ideals of justice, inclusion, and accountability, then future generations will say of us: here were leaders who did not merely speak of change but made it. Here were men and women who did not merely amend the Constitution but renewed the nation,” he added.
He also said that Nigeria must embrace inclusion to embrace women’s participation in politics.
He reaffirmed that the National Assembly stands with the executive to address women’s rights.
On the special seat for women bill, Senator Monguno said that Nigerian society is patriarchal in nature, hence the need to think outside the box to include women in politics.
He added that with the renewed efforts put into the Reserved Seats for Women Bill, it will see the light of day.