Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said the National Assembly will not allow itself to be held hostage by the “disruptive instincts” of any of its members, stressing that discipline and respect for legislative rules are vital to sustaining Nigeria’s democracy.

In a statement by his media aide, Eseme Eyiboh, titled “The Trials and Triumphs of a Resilient Nigeria’s 10th Senate,” Akpabio said enforcing parliamentary order was not about suppressing dissent but about safeguarding the integrity of democratic institutions.

“The Senate cannot and will not be held hostage by the disruptive instincts of any of its members. Democracy thrives only when its institutions are respected and its rules upheld,” he said.

Although he did not name any lawmaker, the remarks come amid renewed controversy surrounding Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central), who recently returned from a six-month suspension she continues to contest.

Akpabio likened the Senate’s disciplinary standards to those of advanced democracies such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, where defying parliamentary authority attracts swift sanctions.

He emphasised that the Senate’s Standing Orders are not “ceremonial relics,” but living instruments designed to preserve fairness and stability in governance.

“The discipline of parliamentary conduct is a universal marker of political civilisation. No member, regardless of party or popularity, may openly defy the Speaker’s ruling without consequences,” he said.

Describing the 10th Senate as a “chamber of resilience and balance,” Akpabio said the institution must remain a stabilising force guided by “freedom within order.”

“By upholding its Standing Orders, the Senate has reclaimed its moral authority and demonstrated that rules, properly enforced, are not instruments of oppression but shields against institutional decay,” he added.