Senate President Godswill Akpabio says lawmakers were elected to cooperate with the executive, not confront it. Akpabio spoke in an upcoming feature documentary to mark two years of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. He said legislators are not elected to fight the president, but to work across party lines for national progress. “When elected into the national assembly, whether in the senate or the house of representatives, your constituents will not give you boxing gloves,” he said. “It’s not a boxing tournament. You are there to work in a bipartisan manner for the interest of Nigeria.” The senate president said the cordial relationship between the national assembly and the presidency over the past two years is rooted in a shared commitment to development. “If you spend all your energy fighting the executive, who will work for Nigeria?” he asked. Akpabio noted that the current administration is the first in Nigeria’s history where the president, vice-president, and first lady are all former senators. He said the legislature is backing efforts to revitalise the economy through local production and job creation. “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.” Akpabio said Nigeria must urgently rebuild its manufacturing base, which once thrived on textiles and cash crops. “Over 50 textile companies have left Nigeria. The cotton industry collapsed. The groundnut industry collapsed. The palm oil industry collapsed,” he said. “Look at countries like Malaysia that have leveraged palm oil to boost their economies.” NIGERIA FIRST POLICY Akpabio praised the “Nigeria First” policy of the Tinubu administration, saying it deserves full legislative support. “We are going to make laws and produce bills that ensure almost every item we consume that can be produced in Nigeria is produced in Nigeria,” “Taking Nigeria First means bringing industries back to the country to serve our population of over 200 million.” Akpabio called for greater support for local entrepreneurs, noting that even small-scale ventures can thrive in Nigeria. “Even if you produce vinegar and bag it well, it will fly. If you produce bread, you will be a millionaire considering the kind of population that we have,” he added. Akpabio said the national assembly will continue passing laws to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imports. On the issue of checks and balances, Akpabio rejected the claim that the legislature is a “rubber stamp”. “People forget that we have made enemies by rejecting some of the nominees that the president sent to us,” he said. “It’s not everything the president brings that he takes back the same way.” The former Akwa Ibom state governor said the role of the legislature is to scrutinise and refine executive proposals in the interest of “Our job is to make sure we cross the T’s and dot the I’s to assist the president in having the best for the Nigerian population,” he said. “This government is not a government of theory; it’s a government of action. So, for us in the national assembly, we are very focused on pro-people legislation. “I assure Nigerians that more people-focused laws are coming: laws that will reduce hardship, open the economy, and empower young “From the perspective of the national assembly, we have scrutinised almost every bill that the president has brought. “We have aligned it with the Nigerian people’s realities and needs and supported it by ensuring they are speedily passed. “We don’t waste time on anything that will enhance the living standard of Nigerians.” On Friday, Akpabio said all political parties in Akwa Ibom have collapsed into a single entity. He added that the movement will back the re-election bids of Tinubu; Umo Eno, governor of the state; and himself. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday