Interim National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Senate President, David Mark, has lashed out at the current National Assembly, accusing its members of abandoning their constitutional responsibilities and serving as mere cheerleaders for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking at the official unveiling of the ADC as the adopted political platform for a new opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections, Mark expressed deep concern over what he called the “erosion of the independence” of the legislature.
He lamented that the National Assembly, once regarded as the bastion of democracy, has lost its oversight role and now echoes the will of the Executive.
“Never in our history have we witnessed a legislature so emasculated. The National Assembly, whose members are the trustees of our democracy, has been reduced to cheerleaders of the executive,” he declared.
Mark warned that the transformation of the parliament into an extension of the presidency poses grave dangers for the future of Nigeria’s democracy.
“This is why whimsical and unconstitutional decisions are now made with impunity, leading to deepening poverty and widening insecurity,” he added.
He described the coalition as a broad national movement made up of opposition political parties, civil society organisations, youth groups, and other concerned Nigerians determined to “save the soul of the Republic.”
Meanwhile, Senate President Godswill Akpabio has dismissed criticism that the legislature is weak and submissive. In a documentary marking two years of President Tinubu’s administration, Akpabio defended the harmonious relationship between the Executive and the Legislature.
“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. You are there to work in a bipartisan manner for the interest of Nigeria,” he said.
Akpabio argued that collaboration—not confrontation—is key to achieving progress, adding, “If you spend all your energy fighting the Executive, who will work for Nigeria?”
