By Nathaniel Zaccheaus, Abuja
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Sunday, declared that laws enacted by the National Assembly must reflect divine justice to command not just obedience but reverence.
Akpabio spoke in Abuja at the commissioning of the newly completed National Assembly Chapel, where he described the edifice as a moral compass for lawmakers and a covenant of faith within the nation’s democratic institution.
He said legislators had chosen to “submit to the Supreme Lawgiver,” stressing that while parliaments legislate for a season, God legislates for eternity.
“Unless the laws of men reflect the justice of God, they may command obedience, but they will never command reverence nor shape destiny,” he said.
The Senate President maintained that the strength of any nation lies not only in the robustness of its governance structures but also in its recognition of divine authority.
According to him, the dedication of the Chapel affirms that lawmaking must be guided by conscience, anchored in righteousness and inspired by prayer.
Akpabio traced the project’s origins to the Sixth Assembly, when Christian lawmakers conceived the idea of a Christian Legislators Fellowship but lacked a permanent place of worship.
He recalled that members met in borrowed rooms and improvised spaces while nurturing a vision for a dedicated chapel within the National Assembly complex.
He said, “When I first came here as Senate President, this place was overgrown with weeds, silent and abandoned.
“We resolved that neglect would not have the final word. Delay would not have the final word. Faith would have the final word,” he said.
He attributed the completion of the Chapel to divine providence, noting that his emergence as Senate President at this time aligned with a higher purpose to bring the project to fruition.
Akpabio also reflected on his tenure as governor of Akwa Ibom State, saying the transformation recorded during his administration was the work of God.
“The best-kept secret behind the uncommon transformation of Akwa Ibom was not the work of man. God did it and used me as an instrument,” he said.
He added that he sees the same divine hand at work in the Tenth Assembly.
He emphasised that the Chapel would not “contain God,” but would serve as a sacred space where legislators could seek wisdom and moral clarity before making decisions that affect millions of Nigerians.
Quoting the Bible, he said, “Except the Lord build the house, the builders labour in vain,” adding that the facility would stand as a constant reminder that above every earthly authority stands the sovereignty of Almighty God.
Akpabio paid tribute to the First Lady, Oluremi Bola Tinubu, whom he described as “the Esther of our time,” for her support and for commissioning the Chapel.
He also acknowledged lawmakers from previous assemblies and other contributors who sustained the vision through financial and material support.
He noted that the dedication coincided with a period of fasting and devotion by Muslim faithful and urged Nigerians of all faiths to unite in prayer for peace, wisdom and national progress.
“This Chapel shall stand as a moral compass in the machinery of governance. Here, lawmakers will seek wisdom before legislating.
Here, conscience will be strengthened and hope renewed,” he said.
Akpabio expressed hope that future generations would remember that at a critical moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey, its lawmakers paused to affirm their dependence on God.
“Let it be remembered that in this generation, our lawmakers affirmed that nations are sustained not by power alone, but by the providence of Almighty God,” he said, declaring the Chapel Nigeria’s “covenant with heaven” and a testament that “in God, we truly trust.”
