Shettima Canvasses Deeper Executive-Legislative Ties, Says Tinubu Will Never Take Lawmakers for Granted

•First Lady, Akpabio, Abbas, Uzodimma seek support for more women participation in governance

Deji Elumoye in Abuja 

Vice President Kashim Shettima has sought deeper collaboration between the executive and legislature, saying the two arms of government must work to align their purposes and maintain an unshakable resolve to build a Nigeria that works for all citizens.

Shettima noted that this explains why the relationship between the two arms of government under the administration of President Bola Tinubu had “been a harmony rooted in leadership, foresight, and collective resolve.”

This is just as the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, and the Chairman of the All Progressives Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, have solicited more support for women’s participation in governance.

Speaking in Abuja at the weekend during a dinner with members of the National Assembly organised by the wife of the president, Senator Tinubu, at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Shettima stated that under Tinubu’s administration, the nation is currently enjoying the best working relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government since the return of democratic rule.

The vice president, however, called for a deeper collaboration between the two arms of government, stating that “the true essence of democracy manifests not only in respecting the legislature, but in appreciating the indispensable role each arm plays in the architecture of governance.” 

On the need to deepen cooperation between the two arms of government, Shettima said it is evident that “the entire architecture of the Presidency today is anchored by proud alumni of the National Assembly,” 

He pointed out that President Tinubu, the First Lady, the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and himself are alumni of the federal legislature.

“Democracy does not flourish in the chaos of discord. It thrives where there is understanding. It survives where there is familiarity with what each arm is designed to achieve. It blossoms where each recognises the intersection between power and responsibility—between authority and accountability,” he explained.

“This occasion, in every sense, reaffirms that commitment. You are not taken for granted. You have never been taken for granted. And you will never be taken for granted,” he observed.

On the sense of purpose required from the two arms of government to thrive in governance, which he said is the foundation of their partnership,” Shettima said it is anchored in President Tinubu’s understanding that no government can move forward without the National Assembly. This belief is shared by all of us privileged to serve around him.”

“The audacious reforms this administration has undertaken, from stabilising the macroeconomic architecture to repositioning Nigeria for global competitiveness, owe their success to your cooperation and patriotism. You have placed the nation above personal interest. You have resisted the temptation of populist shortcuts. 

“You have embraced the difficult path of restructuring an economy weighed down by decades of deferred choices. And today, the early signs of macroeconomic recovery are already trickling down—gradually, steadily. This has rekindled the confidence that Nigeria is on course to becoming a prime destination for investors.”

Acknowledging, however, that the journey is still far from over, the vice president said the current threats to the nation’s national security were potent enough to unite the two arms of government, even as he implored the lawmakers and members of the executive to rely on the wisdom of their predecessors.

“None of us is immune to the devastations of the crises we inherited. Our promise to deliver a safer nation is a solemn covenant with the Nigerian people. And to fulfill it, we must continue to work hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart.”

Earlier, the Senate President, Senator Akpabio, said that while insecurity was not peculiar to Nigeria, the proper measures are being taken to tackle the menace.

He assured that the National Assembly is determined and united in supporting the President in addressing security challenges across the country. 

On his part, Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas also advocated greater representation for women.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the All Progressives Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Uzodimma, solicited greater support for women’s participation in governance, describing them as home managers who would do well in key positions in government.

On her part, the host of the dinner, Mrs Tinubu, who described the event as a good reunion with her former colleagues in the National Assembly, called for sustained education for all Nigerian children to enable them to thrive.