Group Slams Nigeria's 10th Senate for Stagnation and Scandal; Warns Legacy at Risk
Abuja, Nigeria – The Advokc Foundation on Wednesday, November 19, issued a scathing critique of Nigeria’s 10th Senate, warning that the legislative body is on a path to be "remembered for all the wrong reasons."
Source: Facebook
In a statement released, Mr. Habib Seidu, speaking for the Foundation, slammed the Senate for its "poor leadership system and structure," highlighting a profound gap between its promises and performance two years into its mandate.
According to Mr. Habib Seidu:
"If the current trajectory holds, Nigerians will settle for [the 10th Senate being remembered as] a spectacle of scandal and stagnation, not a serious reforming chamber," Seidu stated.
The critique points to a series of controversies and legislative failures that have plagued the upper chamber.
The Foundation cited the case of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan and her allegations against Senate President Godswill Akpabio as a key indicator of the Senate's ethical contradictions. Instead of an independent ethics review into claims of sexual harassment and abuse of power, the Senate suspended the Senator for six months for "misconduct."
"When women claim harassment and are then silenced rather than heard, what does that say to the Nigerian electorate?" the statement questioned, referencing the "We Are All Natasha" protests that followed the decision.
Beyond the scandals, the Advokc Foundation highlighted a pattern of stalled critical reforms:
Health Financing: Despite pledging to allocate 15% of the national budget to health in line with the Abuja Declaration, financing remains between 4% and 6%. This failure persists even as Nigeria accounts for 13% of global maternal deaths and health spending pushes millions into poverty.
Gender Inclusion: The Special Seats Bill for Women remains in limbo, treating female representation as a matter of "rhetoric rather than resolve," despite successful implementation in countries like Rwanda and Senegal.
Source: UGC
Electoral Reform: Promises to review the appointment process for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and resolve election petitions before swearing-in have stalled, with no significant reforms emerging.
Environmental Responsibility: The Gas Flaring (Prohibition and Punishment) Bill is in "legislative limbo," costing Nigeria an estimated $2.5 billion annually in lost revenue and exposing Niger Delta citizens to poisoned air.
A central pillar of the Foundation's criticism is the Senate’s failure to pass the Audit Bill. This inaction, they argue, has resulted in over ₦103.8 billion and $950,912.05 in misappropriated funds across just 31 ministries, departments, and agencies, according to the 2019 and 2020 auditor-general’s reports.
The Foundation argues that comprehensive audit reform could generate ₦720 billion in economic benefits over five years through recovered revenues and improved tax compliance, while enhancing international standing.
Using data from their Promise Tracker NG platform, the Foundation's "Legislative Agenda Meter" shows that the Senate is "performing without progress." Of 28 tracked promises, only one—live streaming and online access to proceedings—has been kept.
Eighty-two percent of tracked promises have not been tabled or discussed.
"When a legislature is more scandal-rich than reform-driven, it becomes what Nigerians now see: reform-proof," Seidu concluded.
The Advokc Foundation maintains that time remains for a course correction. They urged the Senate to set real deadlines, pass the Special Seats Bill and the Audit Bill, increase the health budget allocation, and open its proceedings to citizens through digital participation.
"If it fails to do these, the story of the 10th Senate will be written not in laws passed but in controversies remembered. History will recall a chamber that promised reform but delivered theatre," the statement concluded.
Source: Legit.ng
