June 12: Saraki warns against weak legislature, says democracy needs strong institutions

Former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, has warned that Nigeria’s democracy could be endangered if key institutions, particularly the legislature, are weakened. Saraki stressed that a strong and independent parliament remains critical to democratic stability, good governance and national development. He made the assertion on Friday while delivering a keynote address at The Platform’s June Forum in Lagos, held to commemorate the 2026 Democracy Day celebration. Speaking on the theme, “How Legislature Brings About Democratic Stability by Strengthening Governance and National Development,” the former senate president described the National Assembly as the “load-bearing wall” of Nigeria’s democracy. According to him, democracy in Nigeria was not handed to citizens but was won through sacrifice and must be continuously protected through strong institutions. “Democracy in Nigeria was never handed to us. It was fought for. And what is fought for must be cherished, protected and built upon or it slips away,” Saraki said. Reflecting on the significance of June 12, he noted that the historic 1993 presidential election remained a symbol of Nigerians’ collective commitment to democratic ideals. “Today we stand on Democracy Day, which exists only because ordinary Nigerians refused to surrender their belief in the ballot,” he stated. Saraki argued that the legislature serves as the primary platform for managing political disagreements and preventing national crises. “Here is what democratic stability actually requires: that disagreement has somewhere to go. The parliament is the arena where a divided country can argue without breaking,” he said. He maintained that a legislature that merely endorses executive decisions without scrutiny fails in its constitutional responsibility. “A legislature that cannot say ‘no’ is not a legislature at all. A legislature which simply receives executive proposals, approves them without scrutiny and goes home has not fulfilled its constitutional mandate,” he added. The former Senate president also defended the oversight and budgetary roles of the National Assembly, insisting that lawmakers have a constitutional responsibility to scrutinise government spending and borrowing. “Every road, every hospital, every soldier’s salary, every kobo spent in your name must first pass through your representatives,” he said. Saraki recalled how the Eighth Senate rejected a proposed $29.96 billion external loan request by the Muhammadu Buhari administration in 2016 because it lacked sufficient details on its intended use. “We rejected the plan becau