Ezekwesili Accuses NASS of Dubiously Placing Senate Rules Above Nigerian Constitution

Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has criticized the National Assembly for allegedly prioritizing its internal rules over the Nigerian Constitution. She argued that legislative rules should not override constitutional provisions, comparing the situation to the United States, where Senate rules remain subordinate to the country’s Constitution.

Ezekwesili had earlier condemned the Senate for its handling of the sexual harassment allegations leveled against Senate President Godswill Akpabio by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. She accused Nigerian lawmakers of acting with impunity, claiming they have taken a stranglehold on democracy.

In a post on her X handle on Friday, she reaffirmed that the Nigerian Constitution is the supreme law of the land and should not be undermined by Senate rules. She emphasized that in the United States, from where Nigeria adopted its presidential system, legislative rules cannot conflict with constitutional principles.

Ezekwesili warned that allowing the legislature to place its internal rules above the law poses a significant threat to democracy. She called on citizens to take action and resist what she described as an ongoing democratic aberration.