Akpabio urges urgency, reform as Senate resumes plenary for 2026

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has charged members of the upper legislative chamber to embrace urgency, discipline and reform-oriented lawmaking as the Senate resumed plenary on Tuesday, marking its first sitting of 2026 after the Christmas and New Year recess.

In his welcome address, Akpabio reminded senators that the 10th Senate had entered the decisive phase of its tenure, with less than one year and five months remaining in the current legislative cycle.

The former Akwa Ibom State governor stressed that the period ahead must be deliberately reform-driven, urging lawmakers to focus on legislation that delivers tangible and lasting benefits to Nigerians.

“The 10th Senate has now entered the final stretch of its legislative journey. With less than one year and five months remaining in this cycle, we are no longer merely settling into pace—we are approaching the decisive phase.

“This is the final stretch of the marathon, and it is the stretch that separates participation from performance. It demands urgency without panic, reform without recklessness, and productivity without compromise of standards. This final phase must be deliberately reform-driven,” Akpabio said.

He urged senators to prioritise bills that promote economic growth, enhance national security and restore public confidence in governance, while cautioning against legislative clutter and unfinished business.

“We must prioritise laws that unlock growth, secure lives and property, and restore confidence in the Nigerian state. What we pass now must be what Nigeria truly needs now—laws that work, reforms that endure, and oversight that corrects rather than merely criticises,” he added.

Akpabio further said the concluding phase of the Senate’s work should be defined by institutional order, completion of pending legislative tasks and meaningful oversight, rather than the sheer volume of bills passed.

He called on lawmakers to reflect on the long-term implications of their decisions and the kind of nation they would leave behind.

Highlighting immediate legislative priorities, the Senate President said members were expected to act swiftly on critical national assignments, particularly the consideration of the budget.

“This must also be a legacy phase—a time of house-cleaning: clearing bottlenecks, completing what we started, and leaving behind a legislative house that is orderly, principled, and functional. History will not judge us by volume, but by value; not by noise, but by impact,” he said.