President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio has expressed concern over the reported decision to deny Senator Francis Faduyile (APC Ondo South) a ticket to contest the 2027 general elections.
He warned that the exclusion of experienced lawmakers could deprive the National Assembly of valuable contributions to lawmaking.
Akpabio who spoke during plenary expressed surprise that Faduyile might not return to the Senate after completing the tenure of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim who is now Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United Nations.
He urged political stakeholders in Faduyile’s constituency to reconsider the reported decision arguing that political parties should give greater consideration to competence experience and the capacity to contribute to national development when selecting candidates.
‘What kind of politics are we doing when we are throwing away our best?’ he asked during deliberations on a motion sponsored by Faduyile at plenary.
Faduyile a former president of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) is representing Ondo South in the Senate to complete Ibrahim’s tenure.
Akpabio said experienced professionals should be given opportunities to serve in the legislature while noting that others could contribute to governance as ministers directors-general secretaries to government deputy governors or governors.
‘I believe that he’s very sound and people can go to other places. Some people could be made ministers DGs secretaries to government and all that deputy governors or governors or whatever. Others can serve in the legislature. I believe that he’s one of your best’ he said.
The Senate President urged political stakeholders in Faduyile’s community to reconsider their position and ensure that capable individuals were not denied opportunities to contribute to national development through legislative service.
‘Take my message back to your community that you should put your best foot forward. Try to reconsider the decision’ he told Senator Adegbonmire who acknowledged the intervention saying: ‘Your advice is well noted sir.’
Akpabio returned to the issue in his closing remarks thanking Faduyile for sponsoring the motion and questioning the value of lawmakers serving for short periods without sufficient time to make meaningful contributions to legislative business.
‘I must also further thank Professor Francis Faduyile and say that what I said was serious. That is not good for a senator to come and just be in the Senate for one year’ he said.
He argued that political parties should carefully consider the consequences of denying experienced lawmakers another opportunity to serve particularly when their professional expertise could strengthen legislative deliberations and policy development.
‘It is important that the political parties take a good look particularly where we have very serious-minded people who can make serious contributions to legislation and by implication to Nigeria. Taking tickets from such individuals robs us of his experience’ Akpabio said.
The Senate President specifically cited Faduyile’s professional background and experience as a former NMA president as assets that could benefit the Senate.
He added that his intervention was not motivated by the politics of Ondo State noting that he was not familiar with how political interests were distributed in the state.
‘But I know that as a former President of the Nigerian Medical Association you have a lot to contribute to this legislature. And I’m not a politician from your state; I don’t know how you share things’ he said.
Akpabio’s remarks underscored his concern that the loss of experienced legislators could weaken the Senate’s institutional knowledge and deprive the country of their contributions to lawmaking.