₦airaland Forum

Former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has hailed President Bola Tinubu for choosing to join the National Assembly to celebrate Democracy Day.

Saraki, who served as Senate President from 2015 to 2019, noted that the symbolic action of the president speaks volumes.

Saraki, in his remarks, alleged that his official portrait was excluded from the Senate Gallery honouring former presiding officers for four years and was only recently added, a move he credited to the current Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

He said, “Just as my portrait was missing for four years in the Senate Gallery created for all former presiding officers. It was brought in just recently. I thank my good friend, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for that. But in the spirit of parliamentary culture, this does not mean we cannot still disagree on more issues later on in the future.”

In a statement titled, “The National Assembly and Nigeria’s Democracy in the Last 26 Years”, which he said he had prepared for delivery at the joint session of the National Assembly on Democracy Day, June 12, but could not deliver due to time constraints, congratulated Nigerians for their resilience in defending democracy and paid tribute to the heroes of the pro-democracy movement.

“I have been given just three minutes to talk on the important topic of the impact of the National Assembly in the last 26 years of democracy in our dear country. Let me, therefore, quickly acknowledge the presence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, their deputies, other principal officers, other former presiding officers of the two chambers of the National Assembly here present, and members of the 10th National Assembly. Furthermore, I adopt the protocol already established by the previous speakers.

“Ladies and gentlemen, permit me to quickly make five points before the time allotted to me expires. First, I congratulate all Nigerians at home and abroad on the 26th anniversary of democracy. This achievement is a result of the sacrifice and perseverance by all of us, and as such, we deserve a pat on the back for this.

“Second, let me join all of us in remembering and celebrating our heroes and heroines of democracy who paid different types of prices and those who made various sacrifices to end military rule and return our country to democracy. Without their sacrifice, we would not be here today. From the known political leaders to the unsung and unknown protesters on the streets who lost their lives, limbs, and livelihoods during the fight against military rule. May Almighty God bless all their souls. As we praise those who helped us to achieve this democracy, we also need to commend those who have worked hard to sustain it.

“Third, I want to commend President Tinubu for choosing to join the National Assembly here in this chamber to celebrate Democracy Day. This symbolic action speaks volumes. This is an acknowledgement of the fact that among the three arms of government, the one that best symbolises, represents, and exemplifies democracy is the parliament. Today, the Nigerian leadership did not gather in Aso Rock Villa, or the foyer of the Supreme Court, or the covered seats of Eagle Square to celebrate democracy. We are here in the Green Chamber of the National Assembly to celebrate representative government. Today’s gathering indicates clearly that the legislature is the bedrock of democracy.

“We all agree that the major responsibility for our generation is the sustenance of democracy, and this will depend on how strong we make the legislature, and so if we must continue to reinforce our democracy, we must also strengthen this institution. The same parliament had played a key role at critical periods in the life of our country. (a) In the aborted third republic, the same National Assembly in which President Tinubu served as a member faced the nozzle of the guns to resist the attempt to truncate the March to civil rule in 1993.

“(b) This same National Assembly in its fifth session, with its heroic members, resisted the attempt to foist a tenure elongation on the country in what is popularly called the third term agenda. The same National Assembly rose to the occasion and voted down the bill.

“(c) In this same National Assembly, when the country also got entangled in a constitutional crisis, the 6th Assembly came up with the doctrine of necessity to forestall a collapse of the system. (d) Again in this same National Assembly, when we had a period where the executive believed the National Assembly was not even a needed institution, the 8th Assembly put its foot down and insisted on the dictates of constitutional democracy, the presidential system, and the checks and balances inbuilt into it.

“Let me now say that, except we are here to lie to ourselves, we must acknowledge the fact that the National Assembly is gradually becoming a shadow of what a virile and effective parliament should be. We owe it a duty to those who fought for the present democracy that we have and the future generations of Nigeria that will come after us to make the parliamentary institution stronger and more efficient.

“Today, we seem to be drifting backwards. And we don’t have to go far to find the reason for this sad development. I am convinced that this is not only the fault of the legislature and its leadership. The executive and judiciary have consistently played key roles in undermining and weakening the National Assembly. From interference in its choice of leadership, misunderstanding its oversight role, and taking its occasional ‘No’ as being antagonistic, the National Assembly has often come under unwarranted and systemic attack.

“I want to make a strong appeal to all of us that we need to consciously work hard to make this institution strong and vibrant. We all need to realise that by its nature, its role and character, the parliament is created to say the truth to power and scrutinise what the executive is doing. Sometimes, it will agree with the executive actions and proposals. Other times, it may disagree. One good thing is that its agreement or disagreement should always be in the protection of national interest not that of personal or partisan interest.

“The National Assembly should continue to be open to the people who have grievances or opinions on issues to ventilate their views, whether rational, irrational, positive, or sometimes, negative. One of the tenets of democracy is the multiplicity of opinions, freely expressed. If the National Assembly is made helpless and hopeless to the extent that the people cannot find succour there, then they will be left with no option but to run to the streets. And this is dangerous for our democracy.

“My fifth point is that another way to look at the importance of the National Assembly as the embodiment of our democracy is that the parliament is naturally designed to promote multi-party democracy. The parliamentary culture is so designed that the voting system is ‘AYE’ and ‘NAY’. It is not expected to be one-sided, one party, and one way. It is part of the parliamentary ethos to have the majority and minority votes on any issue.

“These are indications of different political parties in parliament. While the majority have their way, the minority must have their say. The minority view, as represented by the opposition parties, is what makes a functional democracy. We need to take note of the significance of that point.

“Finally, in looking at the next 26 years ahead, we must not forget to also see how we can improve on the participation of our youths in the parliament, particularly following the passage of the Constitutional Bill tagged ‘Not Too Young to Run’ Law. The same also applies to the need to devise various means towards significantly improving women’s representation in the National Assembly.

“In closing, let me thank the leadership of the 10th National Assembly for inviting me, despite being a member of the opposition party, to come and speak here on this important occasion. If it were to be at another time, they would have been looking at the body language of the President, and my invite would have gotten missing.”

Source: https://thenationonlineng.net/saraki-to-tinubu-thank-you-for-choosing-nass-to-celebrate-democracy-day/

Lol
Ass licking 🤣.... This one de find appointment.
Well, I kuku trust Tinubu

With all that rarara

You playin yaself.

Kptech:
Lol
Ass licking 🤣.... This one de find appointment.
Well, I kuku trust Tinubu

Everything is not about asslicking.... sometimes if the person you don't agree with on political matters does something right, you just give dem there Flowers OR

Are you insinuating PITI OBI asslicked Tinubu or looking for appointment wen he commended Tinubu for removing fuel subsidy.

I think there should be an act of parliament that requires the president to address Nigerians from the national assembly every June 12, pointing out the efforts he has made to deepen our democratic values.

However, I don't think Tinubu has improved democracy in any way. Instead he wants to woo the opposition to the APC, thereby destroying Nigeria's democracy.

Very Bold move to have invited an opposition member to address the country especially someone articulate like Saraki. Tinubu is a true democrat who cherishes dissent.

Conformity from the opposition.

The achievements of president Tinubu in the first 2 years are just too glaring

Kptech:
Lol
Ass licking 🤣.... This one de find appointment.
Well, I kuku trust Tinubu

People are not blind, they are not deaf, they can see and hear what this government has been doing.

Unfortunately for you lots, you never prayed for ordinary 1km of the Lagos Calabar coastal highway to be constructed, even after 30km was completed, you guys was still claiming it was 5 ,10km all in the name of being vindicated

This is no longer opposition but witch hunting

The nation and fickle sycophancy
Saraki said many things and commended so many people
His high point in my opinion is his insistence on the independence of the legislature
Will that ever happen under the present leadership?

I am not understanding saraki again

Are u now PDAPC too

All this Mr thank you this, Mr thank you that.

This one too go soon port to APC

Who will now remain in PDP

Arrange noni

Keep deceiving una office

Kptech:
Lol
Ass licking 🤣.... This one de find appointment.
Well, I kuku trust Tinubu

Saraki, ass Iicking?

Saraki, looking for appointment?

Then you don't know Saraki. As Tinubu is to Lagos, so is Saraki to Kwara State. But you should know that no dynasty can live forever.

SmartPolician:
I think there should be an act of parliament that requires the president to address Nigerians from the national assembly every June 12, pointing out the efforts he has made to deepen our democratic values.

However, I don't think Tinubu has improved democracy in any way. Instead he wants to woo the opposition to the APC, thereby destroying Nigeria's democracy.

You're blaming the president for the opposition wanting to align with him.



Maybe na koboko e suppose dey use.

Great100000:
Source: https://thenationonlineng.net/saraki-to-tinubu-thank-you-for-choosing-nass-to-celebrate-democracy-day/

we're yelling but our government no dey care 😩😧😥

To think some very ill people were hoping the military took power not too long ago!

Great one from Akpabio to invite Saraki. The last Nass leadership were very petty to have removed his portrait.
May our democracy grow beyond ass licking, stomach infrastructure, religiosity, ethnicity, and prosecution of opposition and dissent.
God forbid we go the way of Cameroon and other one party states. Amen

adebayo201:
Saraki, ass Iicking?

Saraki, looking for appointment?

The you don't know Saraki. As Tinubu is to Lagos, so is Saraki. But you should know that no dynasty can live forever.

Which Saraki?

O to ge don lock that bloody dynasty.

Achievement? How does this affect the ordinary man on the street? Who does his celebration at the NASS help?

Kptech:
Lol
Ass licking 🤣.... This one de find appointment.
Well, I kuku trust Tinubu

Go and study saraki like a university course. He's bigger than any appointment he may be considering him for. He's not Tinubu's fan to say the least.

One thing I like saraki for is his firmness about, and quest for a united Nigeria. The only appointment remaining for him is being president and Tinubu doesn't have that to give, except Nigerians

So one cannot think objectively and not be called ass licker

SheikhMuniru:
This one too go soon port to APC

Who will now remain in PDP

our government is acting like crocodile 🐊

If you see your daily bread 🍞 you better thank God

Remain atiku and Peter obi to join APC

Eriokanmi:
Go and study saraki like a university course. He's bigger than any appointment he may be considering him for. He's not Tinubu's fan to say the least.

One thing I like saraki for is his firmness and quest for a united Nigeria. The only appointment remaining for him is being president and Tinubu doesn't have that to give, except Nigerians

same saraki that comply with tinubu to form APC

Was a good choice, really. President Tinubu is brilliant man and a master politician

olawaleatanda:
same saraki dey comply with tinubu to form APC

So? How does this correlate with my post?

Eriokanmi:
So? How does this correlate with my post?

go and read newspaper

You're still a kid

Kptech:
Lol
Ass licking 🤣.... This one de find appointment.
Well, I kuku trust Tinubu

Which Saraki dey find appointment? Lmao.

Sharp guy dude is the best Senate President Nigeria has ever seen

They will soon come here to say Saraki too wan defect.