No legislature can legislate hunger away overnight — Akpabio’s spokesperson, Eyiboh

…Says claim that Senate is a department of the executive “most laughable”

By Henry Umoru, Abuja

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity and official Spokesperson to the President of the Senate, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, has said that while the hardship facing Nigerians is real and pressing, no legislature anywhere in the world can legislate hunger away overnight.

In a statement released on Sunday titled “The Uncommon Legislative Engine: A Record of Reform from Nigeria’s 10th Senate,” Eyiboh dismissed accusations that the Senate has become a mere department of the executive as “perhaps the most laughable.”

According to him, legislative independence should not be measured by “public quarrels” but by “productive engagement” between the arms of government in the coordinated pursuit of national interest.

“The relationship between the legislature and the executive is not meant to be adversarial theatre, but a partnership for national progress. The Electricity Act, the Defence Industries Corporation Act, and the Tax Reform Acts all emerged from this constructive collaboration. These are not signs of subservience but of strategic governance,” Eyiboh said.

He noted that under the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the 10th Senate has passed more than 90 bills, with 58 already receiving presidential assent — a record he described as unmatched since 1999.

“At a comparable stage, the 8th Senate had passed only 32 bills, and the 9th roughly 58. By every empirical measure, the 10th Senate stands as one of the most productive in our annals. To label it the ‘worst in history’ is to abandon fact for fiction,” he added.

Eyiboh listed several landmark legislations — including amendments to the Electricity Act, Tax and Fiscal Policy Reform Acts, and the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act — as evidence of the Senate’s reform-driven agenda.

He explained that these laws are designed to unlock state participation in electricity generation, harmonise Nigeria’s fragmented tax system, and expand access to higher education through the newly created Nigerian Education Loan Fund, which he said has already benefited over half a million students.

On national security, Eyiboh pointed to the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act and the Defence Industries Corporation Act as key legislative responses aimed at tackling the root causes of insecurity by boosting domestic defence capacity and regulating arms proliferation.

He also highlighted the Senate’s institutional reform efforts through the Police Professionalism and Accountability Act, Fiscal Responsibility and Transparency Act, and the ongoing Local Government Autonomy Bill, describing them as “bold steps to embed transparency, oversight, and grassroots empowerment.”

Eyiboh further noted that the Senate’s timely passage of the 2025 Appropriation Act restored budgetary order and reinforced investor confidence, while legislation on National Minimum Wage sought to improve living standards for Nigerian workers.

He said criticisms equating hardship with symbolic comparisons — such as whether a senator’s wife shops in the same market as an ordinary worker’s — miss the point, adding that inflation and scarcity “are democratic in their cruelty” and must be addressed through sound policy, not sentiment.

Defending Senate President Akpabio’s leadership style, Eyiboh said the former Akwa Ibom governor has brought “executive energy into legislative purpose,” maintaining his reputation as an “Uncommon Transformer” through visible governance reforms.

“Let there be no misunderstanding — the hardships Nigerians face are severe and immediate. Hunger, insecurity, and joblessness remain the daily reality for millions. But no legislature anywhere can legislate hunger away overnight. What the Senate can and must do is craft the instruments of reform,” he said.

Eyiboh concluded that the 10th Senate has laid the legal foundation for Nigeria’s recovery and development, urging the executive to ensure diligent implementation of these reforms.

“The Senate has provided the legal architecture. The nation must now insist on its faithful execution. When these laws begin to transform lives, the quiet labour of the 10th Senate will be recognised for what it truly is — an uncommon legislative engine driving Nigeria’s renewal,” he stated.

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