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Last night, in the hallowed halls of the U.S. Capitol, Speaker Mike Johnson stood firm in the face of disruption. During Trump’s State of the Union address, a member of the opposition crossed the line from dissent to disorder. Johnson, calm yet resolute, invoked the authority of the Sergeant of Arms. “Order must prevail,” he declared, his words echoing through the chamber like a gavel striking wood. The disruptive member was swiftly escorted out, and the dignity of the House was restored.
A week earlier, in Nigeria’s Senate, a similar drama unfolded. Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, in a moment of defiance, refused to comply with Senate President Akpabio’s directive to move to her assigned seat. Instead, she chose to shout across the chamber, threatening to expose Akpabio. The Senate President, faced with a breach of decorum, did what any custodian of order would do and called on the Sergeant of Arms to remove her. Yet, the reaction was starkly different. Nigerians watched in horror as the Senator resisted, hurling accusations of sexual harassment later on live television. The nation was left divided, with many quick to blame Akpabio for what they perceived as an overreach of authority.
But let us ask ourselves: Was Akpabio wrong to enforce the rules? Is the parliament a place where members can flout decorum with impunity? As the saying goes, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” If one member is allowed to disrupt proceedings, what stops others from following suit? The parliament is not a marketplace of chaos; it is a temple of deliberation where respect for rules is sacrosanct.
The American example is instructive. Their parliamentary system, which we borrowed, is built on a foundation of strict adherence to order. When a member becomes unruly, they are not coddled , rather they are removed. As Speaker Johnson aptly put it, “The rules are not suggestions; they are the backbone of our democracy.” If we have adopted their presidential system, why shy away from adopting their commitment to discipline?
Some have suggested that the Nigerian National Assembly needs its own “Senate Police” or a team of enforcers ready to physically remove unruly members. This is not a call for authoritarianism but a recognition of reality. As the proverb goes, “If you want peace, prepare for war.” In this case, the “war” is against disorder, and the “peace” is the smooth functioning of our democracy.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s accusations against Senate President Akpabio are quite spurious and suspicious. However, they should not be used to undermine the necessity of enforcing parliamentary rules. As the saying goes, “Two wrongs do not make a right.” Disruption in the chamber is not a form of protest; it is an affront to the institution itself.
Let us not forget that the parliament is the people’s house. When its sanctity is compromised, it is not just the lawmakers who suffer, it is the nation. As we strive to build a stronger democracy, let us remember that order and decorum are not enemies of freedom; they are its guardians.
In the words of the great philosopher Edmund Burke, “Good order is the foundation of all good things.” Let us, as a nation, embrace this truth. Let us support our leaders when they uphold the rules that bind us together. And let us ensure that the next time a stubborn member refuses to leave, their feet are lifted off the ground not as an act of punishment, but as a reaffirmation of the sanctity of parliament.
For in the end, a parliament without order is no parliament at all.
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