The senator-elect for the Akwa Ibom northwest, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, has responded to the notion that the 10th senate would be a rubber stamp of the executive saying the lawmakers would only pass legislations that would better the lot of the masses.
Akpabio who is gunning for the position of senate president and had been anointed by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) stated this at the weekend at a dinner organised for him and his colleague, Mr. Barau Jibrin, whom the party penciled in as his deputy.
The dinner was sponsored by some senators-elect under the umbrella of Stability Group.
Akpabio told the gathering that the senate under him would not be a rubber stamp parliament but would “rubber stamp whatever is good for Nigerians and what Nigerians want.”
“We believe that every Senator, irrespective of his or her political party, is first and foremost a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“In America, the Vice President is the presiding officer of the Senate and does that make them a rubber stamp?
“We would look at issues thoroughly and even the executive would be happy. We will hold robust discussions and public sittings before we come up with any bill for presidential assent towards improving the living standards of Nigerians.
“The 10th senate is made up not only of men and women of high integrity but people of diverse experience and they are bringing all these to bear for the benefit of the incumbent administration of President Tinubu.
“We will not be a rubber stamp senate; rather, we will rubber stamp whatever is good for Nigerians and what Nigerians want.
“Things would change in Nigeria for good under this administration and that is our promise to Nigerians. Be rest assured that we shall succeed by the special grace of God,” he said.
On allegation of corruption leveled against him, Akpabio who served as governor of Akwa Ibom State from 2007-2015 said he had taken it in his stride, stressing that there is no politically exposed person who has not been accused of one thing or the other.
“The allegation against me is that when I was governor, I showed love to all and sundry, that I declared free and compulsory education for all Nigerian children who were resident in Akwa Ibom State.
“I am being accused because I love God so much that I assembled the largest choir in the world to sing to God and broke the Guinness Book of world record.
“I was an uncommon performer as a governor, through the execution of landmark projects totalling over 500 that I couldn’t even commission before I left office.
“There is no politically exposed person that people will not throw innuendos at. Allegations would continue to go after politically exposed persons of high calibre. You don’t look at all those, you look at my track records,” he stated.
