The 2025 Summit of former members of Nigeria’s National Assembly from the southern region have ended with a renewed call for unity, inclusive governance, and economic growth.
The Summit, with the theme: “National Unity: Bedrock of Nation Building” brought together prominent political figures, including the Chief of Staff to the President and former speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; former Senate President, Ken Nnamani; and former speaker, Yakubu Dogara, among several others.
The former legislators, who gathered in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, pledged to support the Nigerian government’s efforts in security and national cohesion.
The summit also examined issues bothering on restructuring, security, and economic revival, while resolving to remain a formidable advisory body committed to Nigeria’s progress.
The forum, under the chairmanship of former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, made their positions known in a communique issued at the end of the Summit.
They stressed the need to close gaps between past and present legislators to ensure continuity, mentorship, and stronger oversight functions.
The communique signed by the chairman of the Drafting Committee, R. Osagie; chairman of the former legislators’ Southern Caucus, Adeyemi Oluwole and the Secretary, Israel Sunny Goli, commended the innovative reforms of the government, declaring that they would always align themselves with initiatives that seek to promote the unity, peace and prosperity of Nigeria.
The ex-legislators listed those initiatives to include among others; the establishment of Regional Development Commissions, Local Government Autonomy, Student Loans Scheme and Deregulation of Electricity Sector.
Greater Collaboration
They called for greater collaboration of State Governments, and support of citizens alike to be able to harvest the great potential of these reforms.
Speakers at the summit emphasised unity and stronger collaboration between past and present lawmakers to deepen Nigeria’s democracy.
The convener, Femi Gbajabiamila, emphasised that the gathering was not a partisan affair but a platform for fostering unity, bridging regional divides and supporting the administration’s efforts in delivering dividends of democracy to Nigerians.
Gbajabiamila said the clarity of President Tinubu’s vision formed the basis for which his administration had set out from day one to tackle the most difficult reforms.
“Today, the Federal Government of Nigeria is no longer paying inflated subsidy claims that benefit only a tiny minority of our citizens. Every Nigerian child today is guaranteed a tertiary education courtesy of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
“With the signing into law of the tax reforms, President Bola Tinubu has ushered in a new era of economic justice, built on fairness,accountability, and national purpose.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is anchored on the unassailable belief that while it is not in our power to change the past, it is our obligation to do the hard work today so that our tomorrow can be better than all our yesteryears,” he said.
Gbajabiamila also charged Nigerians to be united and rise with a renewed determination “to build a Nigeria where unity is a lived reality. “Where our diversity is our greatest strength, and where generations yet unborn will be proud to travel the ends of the earth and declare with confidence, like the Romans of old, that “I am a Nigerian.”
Building Bridges
Participants lauded Ogun state for hosting the event, describing it as a milestone in building bridges of understanding among the nation’s diverse political stakeholders.
In his opening address, the National Coordinator of the National Forum of Former Legislators, Hon. Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe, commended Federal Government’s innovative reforms.
According to Igbokwe, these reforms have impacted positively on the potential of driving even development in all regions of the country and bringing development to the grassroots.
Igbokwe, however, called for greater co-operation from State Governments across the country to complement those Federal Government actions towards ensuring that those innovative reforms are sustained.
He expressed optimism that the Summit will afford the Nigerian legislators the needed opportunity to rise and evolve an outcome that further unite the citizens more “and promote the peace, unity and prosperity of Nigeria”.
Hauwa Abu