The tenth Senate has witnessed expressions of assist for Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s return as presiding officer of the 11th National Assembly, with Senate Chief Whip Tahir Monguno and Senator Cyril Fasuyi declaring that there’s “no vacancy” within the Senate presidency.
The lawmakers made their positions identified throughout Thursday’s plenary, the place Monguno, representing Borno North, expressed confidence that Akpabio would retain the place, whereas Fasuyi, representing Ekiti North, overtly backed his second-term ambition.
“Insha Allah, by the grace of God, the majority of us are going to make it back to the Senate, and this seat is hereby declared: there is no vacancy,” Monguno stated.
He prolonged the declaration to the workplace of the Deputy Senate President and different principal officers of the Senate.
Fasuyi additionally expressed assist for Akpabio’s return, insisting that the Senate presidency within the subsequent Assembly was already occupied.
“I hereby support the motion ably moved by Senator Monguno that the seat of the Senate President in the 11th Assembly is not open to any contest. It is already occupied by Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio,” Fasuyi stated.
Following the declarations, Akpabio requested senators whether or not the place mirrored the final view of the chamber.
When he referred to as on these in assist to say “aye,” the response was audible throughout the chamber. Asked for opposing voices, no audible response was recorded within the change.
“I think that settles it,” Akpabio stated.
The change signalled assist from the 2 lawmakers for Akpabio’s return as Senate President, though the management of the 11th National Assembly can be decided by the formal election course of.
Akpabio Warns Against Misrepresentation of Senate Debates
The improvement got here throughout the identical plenary session by which Akpabio cautioned Nigerians in opposition to taking legislative debates out of context, significantly discussions regarding whether or not suicide ought to stay a felony offence.
The Senate President urged commentators to tell apart between particular person contributions throughout debates and the ultimate choices reached by the Senate.
“When we discuss here, we discuss for and against, and in the course of our discussions, whatever we say should not anger anybody outside this chamber, because at the end, what matters is our final decision,” Akpabio stated.
The warning adopted public reactions to feedback made throughout deliberations on the Suicide Prevention Bill 2026, sponsored by Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong, representing Cross River South.
The invoice scaled second studying throughout Tuesday’s plenary in Abuja, prompting debate over whether or not individuals who survive suicide makes an attempt ought to face prosecution or obtain medical and psychological assist.
Akpabio stated lawmakers should be free to precise opposing views throughout debates with out their remarks being misinterpreted or used to break their reputations.
“We want to make the best laws, so we are bound to oppose each other, and we are also bound to support each other,” he stated.
He urged tv commentators and different public commentators to keep away from politically motivated interpretations of legislative proceedings.
“No matter the discussion, please take the final decision of the Senate into consideration. Don’t go and sit down in panels and try to do politically motivated discussions,” he added.
Akpabio additionally rejected makes an attempt to affiliate terrorism with any explicit faith, insisting that acts of violence shouldn’t be used to stigmatise non secular communities.
“Terrorists are not Muslims. Terrorists are not Christians. Terrorists are human beings who believe in taking their lives and the lives of others,” he stated.
He maintained that Islam prohibits suicide and killing, arguing that claims about suicide bombers anticipating rewards in paradise shouldn’t be used to misrepresent the faith.
According to him, discussions on suicide laws ought to distinguish between folks experiencing psychological well being challenges and those that intentionally take their very own lives or kill others.
“You have to distinguish between suicide committed by people who are mentally disturbed and suicide intentionally committed by people who are physically sound,” Akpabio stated.
He added that the Senate’s goal was to make legal guidelines that handle societal challenges whereas taking related circumstances under consideration.
The Senate President additionally defended his document of sustaining relationships throughout non secular traces, citing his assist for Muslim and Christian pilgrims throughout his tenure as governor.
Akpabio stated he had sponsored 5,800 Muslims to the Holy Land and greater than 10,000 Christians to Rome and Jerusalem.
He additionally cited his longstanding relationship with Muslim members of his workers, saying he regarded them as brothers moderately than defining them by their non secular affiliations.
“My ADC for 19 years is a Muslim. I don’t recognise him as a Muslim. I recognise him as a brother,” he stated.
Akpabio added that greater than 65 per cent of his workers have been Muslims, insisting that he had no cause to talk disparagingly of Islam.
“There’s no way I will talk down on Muslim religion,” he stated.
He urged Nigerians to deal with the substance of public debates moderately than misrepresenting lawmakers’ positions or trying to break their reputations.
The plenary session thus featured each expressions of assist for Akpabio’s potential return as Senate President within the 11th National Assembly and his attraction for accountable public interpretation of legislative debates.
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