By ESEME EYIBOH

In the unfolding story of Nigeria?s democracy, the Senate remains one of its most enduring symbols of institutional resilience and national balance. Beyond the spectacle of debates and the colour of political persuasion, it is the grand arena where the destiny of the nation is shaped, refined, and defended through rules, order, and reason. It is the one chamber where passion must bow to procedure and where leadership must blend authority with decorum.

Under the current stewardship of Senator Godswill Akpabio,GCON the Nigerian Senate has again shown that discipline is not the enemy of democracy but its lifeblood. In a political climate often prone to impulsive rhetoric and theatrical defiance, the Senate?s commitment to its Standing Orders has reaffirmed the solemn truth that democracy thrives only when its institutions are respected and its rules upheld.

At a time when political tempers can easily flare and institutional boundaries are tested, the Senate has chosen the steadier path of order. Its resilience is not borne out of the absence of conflict but from the maturity to resolve such tensions through due process. It is this adherence to procedure that transforms the Senate from a mere congregation of political actors into a citadel of constitutional governance. The Tenth National Assembly has therefore become more than a legislature; it has risen to become the custodian of Nigeria?s democratic rhythm, ensuring that the music of governance remains in tune even when discordant notes arise.

? The Architecture of Order

Every functioning democracy stands or falls by the strength of its institutions. Rules are the unseen architecture that hold those institutions together, shaping not only how decisions are made but also how power is exercised and limited. The Nigerian Senate?s Standing Orders are not ceremonial relics from the past. They are the living constitution of the institution, carefully designed to preserve fairness, consistency, and the sanctity of the legislative process.

The discipline of parliamentary conduct is a universal marker of political civilisation. In the United Kingdom?s House of Commons, the authority of the Speaker is absolute and unchallenged, ensuring that debates proceed with respect and precision. No member, regardless of party or popularity, may openly defy the Speaker?s ruling without consequences. In Canada?s Parliament, even the fiercest partisans understand that procedure is sacred. Heated disagreements are channelled through decorum, not chaos. Similarly, in Australia, the Senate?s ability to hold the executive accountable depends not on the whims of politics but on the meticulous enforcement of rules that keep legislative integrity intact.

Without a doubt, Nigeria?s Senate belongs in that global fellowship of parliaments that recognise chaos as the heart of anarchy and order as the soul of democracy. Its insistence on upholding internal discipline and protecting the authority of its leadership is, therefore, neither personal nor punitive. It is institutional self-preservation. When the chamber asserts that it will not be held hostage by the disruptive instincts of any single member, it is affirming the primacy of collective responsibility over individual grandstanding. This is how strong legislatures endure: not by silencing dissent, but by ensuring that dissent respects the bounds of procedure.

In many ways, the Akpabio-led Senate has re-introduced a tone of seriousness into the conduct of legislative affairs. The presiding officer?s calm firmness, coupled with his inclusivity, has reminded both senators and citizens that freedom within order is the truest form of democracy. Leadership of this sort does not seek applause; it seeks stability. By upholding its Standing Orders, the Senate has reclaimed its moral authority and demonstrated that rules, properly enforced, are not instruments of oppression but shields against institutional decay.

? A Record of Uncommon Legislative Action

To judge a legislature by its distractions is easy, but to measure it by its legislative work is wiser. By that measure, the Tenth Senate has already left an imprint that few in Nigeria?s democratic history can rival. In barely two years, the Senate has processed over 90 bills, with more than 50 receiving presidential assent. To be clear, these are solid, impactful achievements; they are substantive interventions in the nation?s economic, social, and security architecture.

Among them are landmark reforms such as the Nigeria Tax Administration Act and the Joint Revenue Board Act, which harmonise tax collection across the federal, state, and local governments, thereby reducing duplication and boosting fiscal efficiency. These laws lay the groundwork for a more coherent revenue system that can fund Nigeria?s development priorities sustainably. The Electricity Act (Amendment) has opened the power sector to decentralised innovation by placing generation and distribution within concurrent legislative jurisdiction, allowing states to take greater ownership of electrification drives.

Equally significant is the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act, which has established the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, a mechanism designed to democratise access to tertiary education and build the nation?s human capital. Through this law, thousands of young Nigerians from modest backgrounds can now dream beyond financial constraints.

In matters of national security, the Senate has enacted the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act and reformed the Defence Industries Corporation to modernise local arms production and improve oversight. It has strengthened the Police Act and advanced the legal framework for community policing, ensuring that law enforcement is both professional and accountable. Social welfare has not been neglected either. The Senate?s approval of an increased national minimum wage reflects its sensitivity to the economic pressures faced by ordinary citizens.

Beyond these legislative milestones, the Senate has exercised its oversight powers with renewed vigour. Ministerial nominees have faced rigorous scrutiny, and budgetary processes have been more transparent than in previous sessions. Committee reports are now subjected to fuller debate, while public hearings are reclaiming their role as forums of accountability rather than ceremonial formality. This spirit of constructive collaboration with the executive, balanced by a firm assertion of institutional independence, has restored public confidence in the Senate?s purpose and performance.

Senator Akpabio?s leadership style has been pivotal in this transformation. Combining political experience with procedural discipline, he has stabilised the chamber and inspired cooperation across party lines. The result is a Senate that legislates with urgency but without recklessness, that debates with passion but within the boundaries of respect. It is a model of legislative management that other emerging democracies might do well to emulate.

? Discipline as Democracy?s Anchor

In any democracy, the question is never whether there will be dissent. Instead, it is always about how it will be handled. The real measure of a democratic institution is how it handles internal turbulence. The Tenth Senate has faced its fair share of provocations and personality clashes, yet it has consistently chosen the path of principle over populism. When it insists that rules must be followed and that leadership must be respected, it is not acting out of pride but out of duty. Every time the Senate enforces its Standing Orders, it sends a message that Nigeria?s democracy is strong enough to discipline itself.

In the world?s most respected parliaments, members who flout rules face swift consequences. In the British House of Commons, suspension or expulsion is not rare when a member?s behaviour undermines parliamentary dignity. In Canada, contempt of Parliament remains one of the gravest offences, warranting public apology or even exclusion. Nigeria?s Senate has every right to apply similar standards, for to allow disorder in the name of political freedom is to invite the slow death of the institution itself.

There is a reason democracies that survive for centuries place such premium on decorum. Discipline is the invisible thread that connects authority to accountability. A Senator who disregards procedure may think he is exercising personal liberty, but in truth, he is unravelling the very order that gives that liberty meaning. The Senate, as the upper chamber of Nigeria?s legislature, bears the burden of showing restraint even when provoked and firmness even when misunderstood.

Under Akpabio?s guidance, that balance has largely been achieved. His steady hand has preserved the Senate?s institutional dignity while ensuring that disagreements, inevitable in a plural polity, never degenerate into institutional disrespect. His colleagues, through their support, have shown that the Senate?s unity is not fragile but founded on shared commitment to the republic?s greater good. This collective resilience is what distinguishes a mature legislature from a mere gathering of political actors.

As democracy worldwide faces disillusionment, with parliaments in many countries besieged by populist anger and public cynicism, Nigeria?s Senate stands out as a stabilising force. Its insistence on rule-based conduct, its robust legislative output, and its respect for leadership all reinforce the idea that democratic governance is not sustained by emotion but by discipline. In times of uncertainty, Nigerians can look to their Senate as a beacon of institutional steadiness, where procedure triumphs over impulse and order over anarchy.

? A Legacy of Institutional Maturity

Every democratic generation must reaffirm its faith in its institutions. For Nigeria, the Senate remains one of the surest proofs that despite imperfections, the system endures. It is the forum where politics matures into policy and ambition yields to service. Its current trajectory under Akpabio?s stewardship shows that a disciplined legislature can coexist with vibrant debate, and that leadership tempered by wisdom can guide even the most divided chamber towards a common purpose.

The trials of the Senate are many: public scepticism, partisan rivalry, and the ever-present temptation of populist showmanship. Yet its triumphs are greater still. By choosing law over noise, the Senate has shown that Nigeria?s democracy can heal itself from within. Each bill passed, each order enforced, and each moment of collective restraint strengthens not just the chamber but the republic it represents.

The true triumph of the Senate lies in its rediscovery of itself as a body governed by rules, led by example, and anchored in service to the nation. In doing so, it has become a model for the continent and a reassurance to Nigerians that the spirit of democracy, though tested, remains alive and well.

As the nation moves through uncertain times, the Senate?s resilience will remain a cornerstone of Nigeria?s democratic stability. Its fidelity to order and leadership not only safeguards the present but also lights the path for future generations. For, in the end, it is not the noise of politics that defines a nation?s greatness but the calm persistence of its institutions. In that regard, the Nigerian Senate stands triumphant, disciplined, dignified, and resolutely democratic in all terms.

?Rt. Hon. Eseme Eyiboh mnipr is the Special Adviser on Media/Publicity and official Spokesperson to the President of the Senate.

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