From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The Senate has hit back at the fiery cleric and former presidential aspirant, Pastor Tunde Bakare, over his recent comments it deemed as sweeping generalisations and disparaging commentary against the National Assembly.
Bakare, in a fiery state of the nation address delivered on Easter Sunday at The Citadel Global Community Church, Lagos, berated the lawmakers over the treatment of Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who had accused the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio of sexual assault.
He further condemned the actions of some lawmakers, describing one as an “undistinguished senatorial misfit.”
While calling on the legislators to uphold moral standards and the integrity of the institution, he described the National Assembly as becoming the 48th member of President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet which “has by its unconstitutional endorsement of the president’s abuse of powers proven to be the most spineless in our recent history.”
In a statement yesterday by its spokesman, Yemi Adaramodu, the Senate accused Bakare of crossing the line from criticism into “rhetoric laced with contempt and unsubstantiated claims,” warning that such remarks was capable of eroding public trust in democratic institutions.
“While the Senate respects the right of every citizen, regardless of station, to express views on the state of the nation, we are constrained to respond when such commentary risks eroding public trust in democratic institutions,” the statement read.
It noted that Bakare, a pastor and political figure, who contested the last presidential election and previously ran as a vice-presidential candidate, had criticised the legislature’s oversight role and compared its performance unfavourably with past assemblies, including during the period of the failed third-term agenda under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Suggesting that Bakare’s comments were politically motivated, he said: “We view his corrosive criticisms of the National Assembly as a biased and political ecumenical homily,” adding that the remarks were part of a broader pattern of “polarising rhetoric.”
The Senate also accused the cleric of glossing over the Assembly’s assertiveness in areas of executive oversight, such as its position on President Tinubu’s declaration of emergency in Rivers State, which he referred to in his sermon.
“There are well-documented instances where the National Assembly has constructively disagreed with the Executive,” Adaramodu noted, asserting that the legislature’s role should not be judged by performative hostility but by principled engagements and results-driven processes.
In response to the criticism on the handling of Akpoti-Uduaghan’s case, the Senate reminded Bakare of his legal background, warning that his comments on certain matters in court might violate sub-judice rules.
Adaramodu said: “We also wish to note that Pastor Bakare is not only a cleric and political figure but also one with a legal background. He is, therefore, well aware of the constitutional boundaries that guide public commentary, particularly on matters that are sub-judice. The National Assembly cannot and will not be drawn into responding to issues that are already before a court of competent jurisdiction, out of respect for the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.
“While some may attempt to portray an unnecessary adversarial dynamic between the National Assembly and the Executive arm of government as a marker of virility in checks and balances, we must clarify that such tension, though it may entertain some, does not necessarily equate to effective legislative oversight. The true test of institutional maturity lies not in performative hostility but in principled engagements and results-driven processes.
“It’s noteworthy that the executive has never brought any unconstitutional agenda before the 10th National Assembly, like the unspeakable but infamous Third Term agenda, the rejection of which the pastor used as a benchmark for performance.
“To cast aspersions on the entire institution based on personal frustrations, ideological differences, or as positioning ahead of possible future political alignments is not only unfair but also counterproductive to our collective democratic journey.”
The Senate expressed hope that Bakare’s view of the 10th Assembly could yet soften as it did in his recent assessment of past regimes he had previously condemned, saying, “It is important to note that Pastor Bakare may have, in times past, similarly directed harsh criticisms at previous sessions of the National Assembly, some of which he now praises in glowing terms.
“We are confident that, in time, with a nuanced review of the performance of the 10th National Assembly, within the context of the exigencies of this time and season, he may, at some point in the future, commend us for acting in the best interest of the people of Nigeria, in line with our constitutional mandate.”