June 12: Saraki warns against weak legislature, says democracy needs strong institutions

Nigeria's democracy faces significant peril if its core institutions, particularly the legislature, are undermined, former Senate President Bukola Saraki warned on Friday. Delivering a keynote address at The Platform's June Forum in Lagos, Saraki asserted that a robust and autonomous parliament is indispensable for maintaining democratic stability, fostering good governance, and driving national development.

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Democracy in Nigeria was never handed to us. It was fought for. And what is fought for must be cherished, protected and built upon or it slips away.

Speaking on the theme "How Legislature Brings About Democratic Stability by Strengthening Governance and National Development," Saraki described the National Assembly as the "load-bearing wall" of Nigeria's democratic structure. He stressed that democracy in Nigeria was not a gift but a hard-won achievement that requires constant protection through strong institutions. "Democracy in Nigeria was never handed to us. It was fought for. And what is fought for must be cherished, protected and built upon or it slips away," he stated.

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Today we stand on Democracy Day, which exists only because ordinary Nigerians refused to surrender their belief in the ballot.

Saraki underscored the significance of June 12, commemorating the historic 1993 presidential election as a testament to Nigerians' dedication to democratic ideals. He argued that the legislature serves as the essential arena for managing political disagreements, thereby preventing national crises. "Here is what democratic stability actually requires: that disagreement has somewhere to go. The parliament is the arena where a divided country can argue without breaking," he explained.

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Here is what democratic stability actually requires: that disagreement has somewhere to go. The parliament is the arena where a divided country can argue without breaking.

He criticized a legislature that passively rubber-stamps executive proposals without thorough scrutiny, deeming it a failure of its constitutional mandate. "A legislature that cannot say ‘no’ is not a legislature at all. A legislature which simply receives executive proposals, approves them without scrutiny and goes home has not fulfilled its constitutional mandate," Saraki asserted. He defended the National Assembly's oversight and budgetary powers, emphasizing lawmakers' duty to scrutinize government spending and borrowing, ensuring accountability for public funds.

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A legislature that cannot say ‘no’ is not a legislature at all. A legislature which simply receives executive proposals, approves them without scrutiny and goes home has not fulfilled its constitutional mandate.