By Christiana Ekpa
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu Monday shored up support for gender, electoral and local government reforms in the ongoing constitution review.
Similarly, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) also rallied together to chart a new course for democratic renewal, inclusion, and institutional reform.
They all canvassed their positions at a high-level engagement, convened by the House of Representatives Committee on Constitution Review in Abuja.
Senate President Akpabio, in his keynote address called on political leaders to see the constitution as a living document that must evolve with the nation’s changing realities.
“We are here because we share one belief that our Constitution must live, breathe, and grow with the times,” he said. “This engagement with political parties is not routine it is historic. It says to the world that Nigeria’s democracy is alive and still learning, still listening, still leading.”
Represented by the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Tahir Mongonu, the Senate president described the issues under review from judicial reform to women’s inclusion and local government autonomy as “the heartbeats of the Republic,” stressing that democracy must not only endure but deliver.
He warned that electoral credibility and justice remain the twin pillars of a functioning democracy.
“An election is not a ceremony; it is the soul of democracy. When elections fail, trust dies. When justice delays, faith decays”.
He called for a strengthened Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and a judiciary insulated from corruption and political pressure, noting that countries like India and South Africa have successfully reformed their institutions to uphold electoral integrity and judicial independence.
On grassroots governance, Akpabio argued that “true federalism begins at the village level”, urging the devolution of power and resources to the local governments to make democracy tangible to citizens.
