Godswill Akpabio

Godswill Akpabio

Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio (born 9 December 1962) is a Nigerian lawyer and politician who has been serving as the 15th president of the Nigerian Senate since 2023. He was first elected as Senator representing Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District in 2015, lost in the 2019 senatorial elections and won in the 2023 elections. He also served as minister for Niger Delta Affairs from 2019 up till 2022 when he resigned to seek re-election into the Nigerian senate. He had previously served as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State from 2007 to 2015.

Quotes

• It is very difficult to negotiate for peace in an atmosphere of crisis.
  • Minimum wage: We won’t accept starvation wage, NLC president tells Akpabio, Abbas. 3 June 2024, Tribune Newspaper.

• I hope you know we are also labourers. We are all labourers.
  • Strike: We are all labourers – Akpabio tells NLC, TUC. 3 June 3024, Daily Post Newspaper.

• In the business of politics, not everybody will be on the same page.
  • INTERVIEW: My plans for Nigeria if elected Senate President — Akpabio. 12 June 2023, Premium Times Newspaper.
• Those who want to protest can protest, but let us be here eating

Amnesty berates Akpabio over ‘reckless’ comment against Nigerians 1st August 2024, Premium Time.

• Today, I stand before you humbled, honoured, and filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and responsibility as I acknowledge and accept your call to serve as the President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
  • [1]Godswill Akpabio opened his acceptance speech after being elected President of the 10th Senate by expressing gratitude and humility before his fellow senators.

• I assure you that I will discharge the responsibilities of this office with utmost dedication, integrity, and fairness.
  • [2]Akpabio pledged to lead the Senate with dedication, integrity and fairness upon assuming office as Senate President.

• The national interest must always come first.
  • [3]

• We may belong to different political parties, but we all belong to one nation.
  • [4]Akpabio called for unity among senators despite political differences, emphasizing their shared responsibility to Nigeria.

• Our joint efforts will be one of teamwork.
  • [5]The Senate President assured members of the Senate that he would work collaboratively with all senators in carrying out the responsibilities of the 10th Senate.

• Together, we shall reach and surpass the expectations of the Nigerian people regarding us, and our roles in building a better, safer, more inclusive, prosperous, efficient and ethical country.
  • [6]Akpabio called on senators to work collectively to meet the expectations of Nigerians through effective legislation and oversight.

• Our laws must, therefore, align with the vision of Mr. President to protect and provide for our people at the innermost core of their essence while our actions must also guarantee the best and most efficient use of our national commonwealth.
  • [7]The Senate President urged the legislature to enact laws that protect citizens and ensure prudent management of Nigeria's resources.

• We will, as a forward-looking Senate, pass laws that emphasise economic viability, social acceptability and environmental sustainability, to encourage alternate and green technologies without prejudicing our developmental needs.
  • [8]Akpabio outlined the legislative priorities of the 10th Senate, including support for sustainable development and green technologies.

• Our Senate, the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, will be a Senate for all Nigeria.
  • [9]He pledged that the 10th Senate would serve all Nigerians regardless of political affiliation.

• This leadership shall be yours. It shall be a servant leadership; it shall be an uncommon leadership.
  • [10]He appeal to fellow senators by promising a style of leadership rooted in service and inclusiveness.

• Your dreams, your aspirations, and your well-being will be at the heart of everything we will do in this Senate.
  • [11]Addressing Nigerians directly, Akpabio pledged that the 10th Senate would prioritize the aspirations and welfare of the people in its legislative work.

• I urge you to remain hopeful, steadfast, and united.
  • [12]The Senate President encouraged Nigerians to maintain hope and national unity despite the country's challenges.

• Our Senate will remain watchful of, and will be responsive to, these events..
  • [13]Akpabio assured Nigerians that the Senate would monitor global and national developments and respond through legislative action where necessary.

• Our nation is better off with you at the helm of affairs.
  • [14]He Akpabio commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as his decisive leadership at the beginning of the administration.

• Thank you all, and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
  • [15]Godswill Akpabio concluded his acceptance speech with a message of appreciation and a prayer for Nigeria.

• We meet again in this chamber — preserved by the mercy of Almighty God and entrusted once more with the noble charge of legislating for our Republic.
  • [16]Godswill Akpabio opened the Senate's resumption after recess by reminding senators of their responsibility to legislate in service of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

• The hopes of our people do not sleep. The burdens of governance do not take leave.
  • [17]While welcoming senators back from recess, Akpabio stressed that national responsibilities continue even when the legislature is on break.

• It is therefore fitting that we return not merely to our seats, but to our solemn duty as custodians of the people's trust and stewards of their welfare.
  • [18]Akpabio urged senators to view their return from recess as a renewal of their constitutional responsibility to serve Nigerians.

• The Senate must remain a beacon of stability, wisdom and national purpose.
  • [19]The Senate President called on members of the upper chamber to uphold the institution as a stabilising force in Nigeria's democracy.

• History will judge us not by the volume of our debates but by the value of our decisions.
  • [20]Akpabio reminded senators that their lasting legacy would depend on the quality and impact of the decisions they make.

• When elected into the National Assembly, whether in the Senate or the House of Representatives, your constituents will not give you boxing gloves. It's not a boxing tournament.
  • [21]Akpabio explained that legislators are elected to make laws and represent the people, not to engage in unnecessary confrontation with the Executive arm of government.

You are there to work in a bipartisan manner for the interest of Nigeria.

• • [22]Continuing his remarks on legislative responsibility, Akpabio urged lawmakers to cooperate across party lines in pursuit of Nigeria's national interest.
• "As the most ranked Christian in government, God has specially and graciously transformed and prepared me for the task ahead. I belong to all denominations, but I am lucky and happy to be a Catholic."
• "This Chapel shall stand as a moral compass in the machinery of governance. Here, lawmakers will seek wisdom before exercising legislation... For before there were parliaments, He spoke order into chaos. Before there were constitutions, He established justice in the foundations of the earth and inscribed His will upon the conscience of humanity."
• "We must continue praying without ceasing so that the evil doers, the perpetrators of violence, and their wealthy financial sponsors shall be thoroughly exposed by the state. If these saboteurs are embedded within the apparatus of government, they shall be exposed to the public. If they operate from outside the structures of government, they shall equally be exposed and brought to justice."
• "I assure you that I will discharge the responsibilities of this office with utmost dedication, integrity, and fairness. I am humbled because your choice reflects the collective will of the Senate, this assembly of Nigerians."

• Let me seize this opportunity to urge my compatriots to be patient with your government as we lay again the foundations of this house.
• Do not despair when the winds blow strong or the scaffolding shakes.
• For a nation is like a mighty cathedral, it is not raised overnight, but stone by stone, prayer by prayer, hand by hand.
• Transformation is not the burden of one arm of society, nor the privilege of a select few. It is a covenant of partnership.
  • On nation-building as a gradual process and shared project.

• We shall continue to support every lawful effort that strengthens our national security architecture because peace is the first infrastructure of development.
• Roads cannot flourish where fear governs the highways. Investors cannot build where kidnappers build camps. Farmers cannot feed a nation while fleeing their farms. Children cannot prepare for tomorrow when they are afraid to attend school today.
• Every appropriation for security and every law that protects lives is an investment in Nigeria’s future.
  • Warning about insecurity and its impact on development.

• Insecurity is not selective. It tests our collective resolve and reminds us that peace is not inherited — it must be constantly defended.
• The task of nation‑building requires patience, sacrifice, and unity of purpose, but those entrusted with this responsibility must also be protected.
  • On insecurity as a national threat but not partisan.

• Let us work together to build a nation where everyone can live together in peace, harmony and prosperity.
  • Urging Nigerians to reflect on the values of love and peaceful coexistence.

External links

• Media related to Godswill Akpabio on Wikimedia Commons