Akpabio asks parties to stop dropping experienced lawmakers from Senate races

Senate President Godswill Akpabio don urge political parties to think well before dem stop serving lawmakers from contesting re-election, saying the habit dey drain the National Assembly of know-how wey e need to make better laws.

He talk on Thursday while he dey praise Senator Francis Faduyile, a professor and former president of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), saying the lawmaker get the depth to add real value for the red chamber.

Akpabio worry simple: when a senator spend barely one year and dem show am door, the country lose skills wey take time to build. He ask party leaders to weigh wetin lawmakers don do for legislation, not just political calculations, when dem dey hand out tickets.

He talk say e no good for a senator to spend just one year for chamber and then comot, and he urge parties to look more closely at their choices, especially where capable people fit help shape laws and national development.

Why e matter to ordinary Nigerians

For the average Nigerian, the argument na about the laws wey dey shape daily life, from fuel prices and security to health and school funding. Akpabio talk say the calibre of laws wey dem pass dey largely decide how well government dey work.

He call this a weighty issue, noting say the standard of governance dey rise or fall with the standard of legislation, and he ask how the country fit dey properly run without sound laws.

He insist say the Senate no be reward for political loyalty, saying the chamber no be place where dem dey share political favours. The legislature, he add, must be treated as a core institution of democracy rather than a form of compensation.

Akpabio accept say state-level politics often dey drive who go get ticket, but he talk say party leaders still suppose weigh the cost of losing lawmakers wey don master the legislative process.

He point to Akwa Ibom State, where he talk say he thank the governor for backing the return of three senators to the National Assembly. Keeping lawmakers for place, he argue, dey lift the standard of debate and dey help produce laws wey go tackle the country problems.

To make him case, he look abroad: former US Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia serve 51 years, while former President Joe Biden represent Delaware for Senate from 1973 to 2009. Akpabio describe that as the kind of experience he mean.

He also welcome the buzz on social media over the Senate recent debate on decriminalising suicide, saying e show say Nigerians dey watch wetin their representatives dey do. That attention, he talk, suppose push senators to raise their game.

He urge him colleagues to keep working through their committees on pending matters.