By George Ozalla
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has said that members of the National Assembly and State Assemblies remain among the major beneficiaries of the decision of former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, to return Nigeria to civilian rule in 1999.
Akpabio made the remark on Saturday at the public presentation of three books held in honour of the former military leader and the celebration of his 84th birthday at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa.
According to a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, Akpabio, speaking on behalf of lawmakers, expressed appreciation for what he described as the patriotic decision taken on May 29, 1999, which restored democratic institutions across the country. He said the legislature in particular emerged as one of the key institutional beneficiaries of that transition.
He further stated that “your patriotic action and decision you took on May 29th 1999 restored democratic structures at both the National and State levels. We the lawmakers are major beneficiaries of that act of sacrifice in the over two decades.”
Akpabio also noted that members of the National Assembly were preparing to formally honour the former head of state, adding that his selflessness in handing over power despite alleged pressure from some quarters remained a defining moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
He stressed that Abdulsalami resisted calls to extend his tenure, insisting that he kept faith with his promise to return the country to civilian governance, a decision that eventually led to the emergence of the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“The Executive and Judiciary were always intact during military rule, but the legislature was usually suspended. That is why we have to celebrate you for restoring democracy in the shortest time,” Akpabio was further quoted as saying.
He added that Abdulsalami’s emergence as Head of State in 1998 reflected a critical moment in Nigeria’s political transition, noting that his role in midwifing the return to civil rule remains a reference point in the country’s democratic history.
