June 12: Saraki warns against weak legislature, says democracy needs strong institutions
Former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has warned that Nigeria’s democracy could be endangered if key institutions, particularly the legislature, are weakened.
Former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has warned that Nigeria’s democracy could be endangered if key institutions, particularly the legislature, are weakened.
Saraki stressed that a strong and independent parliament remains critical to democratic stability, good governance and national development.
He made the assertion on Friday while delivering a keynote address at The Platform’s June Forum in Lagos, held to commemorate the 2026 Democracy Day celebration.
Speaking on the theme, “How Legislature Brings About Democratic Stability by Strengthening Governance and National Development,” the former senate president described the National Assembly as the “load-bearing wall” of Nigeria’s democracy.
According to him, democracy in Nigeria was not handed to citizens but was won through sacrifice and must be continuously protected 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,” Saraki said.
Reflecting on the significance of June 12, he noted that the historic 1993 presidential election remained a symbol of Nigerians’ collective commitment to democratic ideals.
“Today we stand on Democracy Day, which exists only because ordinary Nigerians refused to surrender their belief in the ballot,” he stated.
Saraki argued that the legislature serves as the primary platform for managing political disagreements and 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 said.
He maintained that a legislature that merely endorses executive decisions without scrutiny fails in its constitutional responsibility.
“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,” he added.
The former Senate president also defended the oversight and budgetary roles of the National Assembly, insisting that lawmakers have a constitutional responsibility to scrutinise government spending and borrowing.
“Every road, every hospital, every soldier’s salary, every kobo spent in your name must first pass through your representatives,” he said.
Saraki recalled how the Eighth Senate rejected a proposed $29.96 billion external loan request by the Muhammadu Buhari administration in 2016 because it lacked sufficient details on its intended use.
“We rejected the plan because it was not accompanied by any breakdown or explanation on how the funds would be spent or what projects it was to be used to finance,” he said.
He also cited the Senate’s refusal to confirm former acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, saying the decision was based on security reports and constitutional provisions.
“The discretion to confirm or not is ours, and exercising it is not lawlessness — it is the law,” Saraki said.
Highlighting the role of legislation in national development, Saraki said the National Assembly had, over the years, enacted laws that improved the business environment, expanded access to credit, promoted local content and protected vulnerable groups.
He pointed to reforms such as the Not Too Young To Run Act, the Disability Act and efforts to modernise Nigeria’s petroleum industry as examples of how legislation can drive national progress.
“We changed the constitution itself to open the doors of leadership to the young. We told our young people: this Republic is not a property you inherit when your elders are finished with it. It is yours now. Run for it,” he said.
Despite acknowledging shortcomings within the legislature, Saraki argued that the solution was not to weaken the institution but to strengthen it through greater transparency, independence and citizen engagement.
“The answer to a parliament too dependent on the executive is more independence, not less. The answer to opaque proceedings is more openness,” he stated.
He urged Nigerians to pay closer attention to legislative activities and hold their representatives accountable.
“The single greatest reform we could make to the National Assembly would cost the government nothing, a citizenry that watches, that asks, and that votes on legislative records, not just presidential personalities,” he said.
Saraki also recounted tensions between the Eighth Senate and the executive arm of government, including the 2018 invasion of the National Assembly complex by security operatives.
“The sanctity of the legislature was violated by agents of the executive, and democracy was placed under extreme strain,” he said.
Saraki called for stronger democratic institutions, electoral reforms and greater civic responsibility, warning that democracy can only thrive where institutions are respected and protected.
“A strong legislature promotes transparency. A transparent government inspires public trust. Public trust strengthens democratic legitimacy. And democratic legitimacy produces stability,” he said.
Nigeria marks Democracy Day every June 12 in honour of the annulled 1993 presidential election, widely regarded as the freest and fairest in the country’s history.
The date was officially adopted as Democracy Day in 2018, replacing May 29, in recognition of the sacrifices made by pro-democracy activists in the struggle to restore civilian rule.
