Godswill Akpabio advocates for democratic inclusion at IPU summit

Godswill Akpabio, President of the 10th Senate and Chairman of Nigeria’s National Assembly, addressed the 153rd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Arusha, Tanzania. During his speech, titled ‘Inclusion, Trust and Opportunity,’ Akpabio emphasized that these three elements serve as the essential foundations of a functional democracy.

Akpabio argued that the success of a democracy should be measured by its tangible impact on citizens—such as access to education and employment—rather than solely by election results or economic statistics. He described trust as the ‘invisible currency of democracy’ that must be earned through transparency, fairness, and accountability.

Representing the Nigerian delegation, Akpabio stated that the National Assembly acts as a bridge between the aspirations of ordinary citizens and government decision-making. He further noted that Nigeria’s cultural and linguistic diversity makes inclusion a national duty, asserting that no community should be marginalized from the country’s future.