“National Assembly Has Been Reduced to Tinubu’s Praise Singers” – David Mark

Former Senate President and interim National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), David Mark, has sharply criticised the current National Assembly, alleging it has become a platform for praising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rather than performing its constitutional duties. Mark made the remarks during the official unveiling of the ADC as the political platform adopted by a coalition of opposition groups ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Expressing alarm over what he described as the erosion of the legislature’s independence, Mark said the National Assembly had effectively abandoned its oversight responsibilities and was now operating as an extension of the Executive. “Never in our history have we witnessed a legislature so emasculated. The National Assembly, whose members are the trustees of our democracy, has been reduced to cheerleaders of the executive,” he said.

He warned that the legislature’s subservience to the presidency posed a serious threat to democratic governance, enabling the Executive to make arbitrary and unconstitutional decisions without challenge. According to him, this unchecked authority has resulted in worsening poverty and insecurity across the country.

Mark described the emerging coalition behind the ADC as a broad national movement composed of political parties, civil society organisations, youth groups, and concerned Nigerians who are determined to “save the soul of the Republic.”

In response to mounting criticisms over the National Assembly’s perceived lack of independence, Senate President Godswill Akpabio defended the legislature’s stance. In a documentary marking the second anniversary of the Tinubu administration, Akpabio said lawmakers were not elected to fight the Executive. “When elected into the National Assembly, whether in the Senate or the House of Representatives, your constituents will not give you boxing gloves. It’s not a boxing tournament. You are there to work in a bipartisan manner for the interest of Nigeria,” he said.

He maintained that the cordial relationship between both arms of government was a product of a shared commitment to national development, adding, “If you spend all your energy fighting the Executive, who will work for Nigeria?”