Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has warned that Nigeria's democracy is in danger if the legislature can't stand up to the executive.
Speaking at The Platform, a public lecture organised by Covenant Nation on June 12, 2026, Saraki said lawmakers must do more than just approve what the president sends them.
"A legislature which simply receives executive proposals, approves them without scrutiny, and goes home hasn't fulfilled its constitutional mandate," he said. "It has merely performed a ceremonial function. It's an echo. A democracy made only of echoes is only one election away from becoming something else entirely."
Saraki was Senate President from 2015 to 2019 under President Muhammadu Buhari. He's no stranger to friction with the executive — his tenure saw frequent standoffs with the Buhari administration over budget approvals, ministerial confirmations, and legislative oversight.
The former Kwara State governor said the framers of Nigeria's Constitution deliberately designed the three arms of government to be independent yet interdependent. He argued that the tension between the executive and legislature isn't a flaw but a feature.
"They built friction into the system on purpose; it wasn't a mistake," Saraki said. "That friction isn't dysfunction; it's the very thing that guarantees your freedom."
He pointed to the annulled June 12, 1993, presidential election as a cautionary tale. According to Saraki, democracy was lost then not because the people failed, but because the institutions — especially the legislature — were too weak to defend the people's mandate.
"The remedy isn't less politics; it's stronger institutions, and the legislature stands at the centre of them," he said.
Saraki also warned that suppressing political grievances only makes them worse. He said a society where people can't voice their concerns through official channels will see those frustrations spill onto the streets.
"The legislature is built to let those voices be heard and resolved before they explode," he added.
His remarks come at a time when many Nigerians feel the National Assembly has become too deferential to the executive. Critics often accuse lawmakers of rubber-stamping budgets and bills without proper debate.
Saraki's own time as Senate President was marked by battles with the executive over the 2016 budget padding scandal and the refusal to confirm some of Buhari's nominees. He also led a Senate that investigated and summoned ministers over various issues.
But his tenure wasn't without controversy. Saraki faced corruption trials at the Code of Conduct Tribunal over alleged false asset declarations — charges he eventually defeated at the Supreme Court in 2018.
Despite those battles, Saraki remains a vocal advocate for legislative independence. His message on June 12 was clear: a legislature that can't say no isn't a legislature at all.