Former Edo State governor and current senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has said that lawmakers were not elected to wage war against President Bola Tinubu.
He made this statement while responding to claims that the 10th National Assembly is serving merely as a “rubber stamp” to the executive arm of government.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday, Oshiomhole defended the Assembly’s working relationship with the presidency, arguing that constant confrontation is not a sign of democratic strength.
“There’s a perception that the National Assembly is a rubber stamp? So if we start boxing the presidency just to prove independence, then we become a bunch of rascals. Is that what we were elected for, to go and box?” he asked.
He noted that lawmakers were elected to serve the people, not to create chaos or engage in power struggles with the President. According to him, the focus should be on effective legislation and oversight, not public drama or political noise.
Oshiomhole challenged critics to name any law passed by the National Assembly that was harmful to Nigerians or went through without proper checks. “Tell me, which law have we rubber-stamped that is harmful to Nigerians? Just name one that passed without robust debate,” he said.
The senator added that collaboration between the legislative and executive arms should not be mistaken for weakness. He said there is room for debate and disagreement, but not unnecessary conflict.
He also pointed to his own actions in the Senate as proof of independence. He recalled raising concerns about electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) and calling out practices that he believed were unfair to Nigerians.
According to him, the idea that lawmakers must be loud or aggressive to prove independence is flawed. “The notion that we must constantly oppose the executive to be seen as effective is flawed. We deliberate, we debate, and we make decisions based on merit, not on the optics of opposition,” he said.
