Senate President Godswill Akpabio says lawmakers were not elected to engage in confrontation with the executive but to foster policies that promote national development.

Mr Akpabio said this in an upcoming documentary to mark two years of the Bola Tinubu administration, according to a statement by presidential aide Bayo Onanuga on Tuesday.

The Senate president reflected on the importance of cooperation between the National Assembly and the executive.

He said, “When elected into the National Assembly, whether in the Senate or the House of Representatives, your constituents will not give you boxing gloves.

“It’s not a boxing tournament. You are there to work in a bipartisan manner for the interest of Nigeria.”

Mr Akpabio emphasised that the relationship between both arms of government had been cordial over the past two years, owing to a shared vision for the country’s progress.

“If you spend all your energy fighting the executive, who will work for Nigeria?” he asked.

He added that the current administration was unique in Nigeria’s history, with a president, First Lady, and vice president, all former senators.

Highlighting legislative priorities, Mr Akpabio said the National Assembly was working on a bill mandating ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to prioritise procuring locally assembled vehicles over imported alternatives.

“We have started the bill for enacting legislation to enable us first purchase automobiles from Nigerian companies before thinking of importing them,” he said.

“We lose billions of dollars annually importing vehicles and other items that can be produced locally.”

Mr Akpabio underscored the urgent need to revive Nigeria’s manufacturing sector, citing the collapse of the textiles industry and cash crops, such as cotton, groundnut and palm oil, which were once the bedrock of the economy.

“Over 50 textile companies have left Nigeria. The cotton industry collapsed. The groundnut industry collapsed. The palm oil industry collapsed. Look at countries like Malaysia that have leveraged palm oil to boost their economies,” he lamented.

Mr Akpabio praised the “Nigeria First” policy championed by the Tinubu administration, describing it as a “fantastic” initiative that deserved legislative backing.

He said discussions were ongoing with the Raw Materials Research and Development Council to promote laws ensuring Nigeria produced most of its consumption.

Mr Akpabio called for more support for local entrepreneurs, noting that even small-scale production ventures such as vinegar or bread could thrive in Nigeria’s vast consumer market.

He promised that the National Assembly would pass the necessary legal instruments to sustain this industrial renaissance and reduce the country’s import dependence.

Regarding checks and balances, Mr Akpabio refuted claims that the legislature was merely rubber-stamping executive decisions.

He noted that the National Assembly had occasionally rejected presidential nominees when necessary.

“People forget that we have made enemies by rejecting some of the nominees that the president sent to us. It’s not everything the president brings that he takes back the same way,” he said.

Mr Akpabio maintained that the assembly’s role was to scrutinise, amend, and support executive actions aligned with national interest.

“Our job is to make sure we cross the Ts and dot the I’s to assist the President in having the best for the Nigerian population,” said Mr Akpabio.

He assured Nigerians that the 10th National Assembly would continue prioritising pro-people legislation supporting the president’s bold reform agenda.

(NAN)