History’ll judge you by courage, not bills passed, Shehu Sani tells Lawmakers

…Stakeholders demand stronger oversight, credible elections

Shehu Sani , a former Kaduna Central Senator on Tuesday challenged members of the 10th National Assembly to prioritise courage, accountability and national interest over legislative statistics, warning that history would judge them by the positions they take on critical national issues rather than the number of bills they sponsor or oversight activities they conduct.

Sani spoke in Abuja at the opening of the 2026 National Assembly Open Week, where several stakeholders also called on lawmakers to assert their independence, strengthen oversight of the Executive and pursue electoral reforms capable of restoring public confidence in democratic institutions.

The event came against the backdrop of growing criticism that the 10th National Assembly has failed to sufficiently scrutinise some executive actions, including controversies surrounding the 2026 budget.

Addressing lawmakers, Sani said public office was temporary, but the decisions legislators make on contentious national issues would define their place in history.

“For those of us who aspire to be in parliament, this is an important event in our lives. We will not be remembered by the laws we passed. We will not be remembered by the oversight functions we performed.”

“We will not even be remembered simply because we won elections and served here.

“We will be remembered for the positions we took on matters of controversy and issues that were sensitive to our nation,” he said.

Sani added, “There are thousands who served before us and have left, and there will be many more after us.

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“We will not always be here, but our children and future generations will remember us by the mark we made in this parliament.”

Describing the National Assembly Open Week as a commendable initiative, the former senator said it offers Nigerians a rare opportunity to understand how Parliament works and directly engage with their elected representatives.

“This idea is novel because it gives Nigerians the opportunity to meet with their elected representatives, interact with them and have a first-hand experience of what is happening in the Nigerian parliament.

“It is democracy at work. It allows the people to see how their laws are made and how an important arm of government carries out its oversight responsibilities,” he said.

Sani also urged Nigerians to defend the country’s reputation whenever it is unfairly portrayed abroad, insisting that Nigeria’s contributions to global peace and freedom far outweigh the negative stereotypes often associated with its citizens.

“Nigeria is a great country and we should be proud of it. Whenever people try to criminalise our country, you must stand tall and defend the dignity and integrity of Nigeria,” he said.

Recalling Nigeria’s military and diplomatic contributions during the Second World War, peacekeeping operations across Africa and support for liberation struggles against colonialism and apartheid, Sani questioned why Nigerians should accept persistent negative labelling.

“For everything Nigeria has done for humanity, we have never asked for compensation.

“Tell me one country that has made such sacrifices. Should we sit back while people from countries that once colonised us and inflicted suffering on our people label Nigerians as fraudsters, criminals and drug lords?” he asked.

He also reminded lawmakers that Nigeria’s democracy was built on sacrifice.

“This democracy is a product of struggle and sacrifice.

“People protested against military rule. Many went to prison and many lost their lives. We must never forget that,” he said.

Acknowledging the pressures associated with legislative office, Sani said many lawmakers face unrealistic expectations from constituents and political associates.

“It is not easy to serve in parliament. There are expectations from your family, your friends and your constituents.

“Many people believe you should enrich them or provide things beyond your constitutional powers and available resources.

“There are people who came into this parliament wealthy and left poorer than when they arrived.

“There are people whose lives became more difficult because they served here. That is the reality.

“Whatever the challenges, every legislator must find his place and strive to make an impact. You must struggle through the turbulence of the Nigerian state and ensure your contribution leaves a lasting mark,” he added.

Echoing similar concerns, Clement Nwankwo, Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), said while the National Assembly had recorded progress in constitutional review, legislative reforms and citizen engagement, Nigerians expected a legislature willing to hold the Executive accountable.

“The Legislature is at its strongest not when it agrees with the Executive, but when it ensures government remains accountable to the people,” Nwankwo said.

He urged lawmakers to prioritise constitutional amendments, electoral reforms, stronger oversight and greater inclusion, particularly for women.

Also speaking, John Onaiyekan, former Archbishop of Abuja, stressed that democratic legitimacy begins with credible elections.

“The process that brings lawmakers into power must be credible,” he said, urging legislators to always put the interests of Nigerians first.

However, Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, and the immediate paster Speaker of the House, defended the close working relationship between the Executive and Legislature, arguing that cooperation should not be mistaken for subservience.

His remarks came amid persistent criticisms that the 10th National Assembly has become a “rubber stamp” parliament.

“Constructive cooperation does not diminish legislative independence, nor does robust debate amount to institutional conflict.

“Our democracy is strengthened when both arms engage with mutual respect, constitutional fidelity and a clear focus on results,” he said.

Gbajabiamila said Nigerians were more interested in the impact of legislation than the volume of parliamentary activity.

“Nigerians expect their institutions to work together,” he said.

He also urged lawmakers to embrace greater public scrutiny.

“An open week must therefore be more than the ceremonial opening of the gates of parliament. It should be an invitation to scrutiny, dialogue and partnership.”

Declaring the event open, Godswill Akpabio, President of the Senate, said Parliament belongs to Nigerians and should remain accessible to the people.

“We are assembled today for something far greater than either Chamber.

“Parliament belongs not to those elected to sit within it, but to the millions whose hopes and votes brought it into existence.

“Parliament was never built to keep the people out. It was built to bring them in, for democracy flourishes only in the confidence of an informed and engaged citizenry.

“This Open Week invites Nigerians to look beyond the headlines and the soundbites, to see Parliament as the meeting point between the aspirations of the people and the responsibilities of government.”

Akpabio added that openness in Parliament must go beyond allowing citizens to observe proceedings.

“Openness therefore means more than allowing citizens to observe proceedings. It means assuring every Nigerian that no community is too remote, no voice too quiet, and no corner of this Republic too insignificant to deserve representation.”

He urged Nigerians to actively engage lawmakers.

“That is why this Open Week is so important. We invite Nigerians not merely to observe us, but to engage with us; not merely to applaud where they agree, but to challenge us where they believe we can do better. A Parliament that listens becomes wiser. A democracy that listens becomes stronger.”

He also lamented that many criticisms directed at the National Assembly stem from an inadequate understanding of the legislative process.

“I want all of us to attend this Open Week. Please try to read the laws we make. You can question us after you have finished reading the laws. You can also challenge us,” Akpabio said.

Recalling a recent television programme, the Senate President said one academic criticised the recently passed tax reform legislation without reading its provisions.

“I saw somebody, a professor, on television condemning the tax bills. We asked him, ‘Which particular section of the Act are you against?’ He said he had not read any of the Acts. Sometimes before you comment on social media, take time to look at the work we have actually done,” he counselled.

According to him, lawmakers enact legislation with future generations in mind rather than for immediate political gains.

“Our job here is to make laws that will last for generations. We are not making laws for ourselves. We are making laws for the protection of Nigeria’s future,” he stated.

Akpabio also described the current National Assembly as the most harmonious since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, attributing its legislative productivity to close collaboration between both chambers.

“This is the most peaceful and most productive Assembly that we have seen since 1999,” he said.

He noted that while disagreements occasionally arise between the Senate and the House of Representatives, both chambers ultimately work through consensus in the national interest.

The Senate President also commended security agencies for the recent rescue of abducted schoolchildren in Oyo State, saying the operation demonstrated that government remained committed to tackling insecurity.

The National Assembly Open Week, themed “Three Years of the 10th National Assembly: Advancing Transparency, Inclusion and Reform,” continues with public engagements aimed at improving transparency, citizen participation and confidence in the legislative process.