President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has urged Nigerians to renew their commitment to unity, love and the country’s future as Nigeria marks its 66th Independence Anniversary.
Akpabio, in a goodwill message issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, described Nigeria as “our destiny, our duty, our future.” He congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigerians, saying the anniversary was an opportunity to celebrate “the gift of nationhood and the enduring promise of our beloved country.”
He said, “Sixty-six years ago, our national flag rose to proclaim the birth of an independent Nigeria. With it rose the hopes of millions: the hope of freedom, the dignity of self-government and the conviction that we could shape our own destiny. That flag still flies, and that promise still calls us forward.”
The Senate President honoured the country’s founding fathers and generations of Nigerians whose courage, labour and sacrifice contributed to nation-building.
He said Nigeria’s “journey has known triumphs and trials, seasons of confidence and moments of uncertainty,” but added: “Yet through them all, Nigerians have continued to strive, create, serve and believe. We celebrate that resilience today: the strength of a people whose hopes have survived every storm.”
Akpabio said the Nigerian spirit was reflected in the contributions of citizens across different sectors, noting that “Nigeria lives in the farmer tending the soil, the teacher shaping a mind, the entrepreneur creating opportunity and the young person daring to dream.” He added that the country’s music, enterprise, hospitality and achievements by Nigerians across the world were “daily expressions of the spirit we celebrate.”
The Senate President urged Nigerians to draw strength from the country’s diversity, saying, “Across languages, cultures and faiths, we belong to one national family. Let this anniversary renew our affection for one another and remind us that the green-white-green shelters us all. The peace we preserve together is the foundation of the future we seek.”
He also saluted the Armed Forces and security agencies, particularly those who lost their lives in service to the nation.
Akpabio assured Nigerians that “as President Tinubu leads our country through this chapter, the National Assembly remains committed to supporting efforts that strengthen our nation and improve our people’s lives.” He prayed that the anniversary would renew Nigerians’ resolve to serve the country “with integrity, compassion and devotion.”
He added, “Fellow Nigerians, independence is an inheritance renewed by every generation. Let us celebrate with grateful hearts, extend hands of friendship and keep faith with the possibilities before us. Our past gives us perspective, our present gives us responsibility, and our future gives us purpose.
Akpabio’s message came just as the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, called on political parties and candidates to conduct peaceful campaigns in line with the Electoral Act, 2026 and the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Bamidele, who is also Chairman of the South-West Caucus in the National Assembly, said peaceful and orderly political campaigns were consistent with the vision of Nigeria’s founding fathers to build a united, democratic and prosperous federation that would serve as a leading voice for Black people and the African continent.
According to his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs, the leader made the call on Thursday to commemorate Nigeria’s 66th independence anniversary, urging political actors to shun incendiary comments and hate speech capable of undermining the seamless conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Bamidele acknowledged the right of every political actor to exercise their political rights, but stressed that such rights must be exercised within the confines of extant laws.
He noted that the exercise of such rights did not extend to hate speech or inflammatory statements capable of triggering political unrest and ethno-religious violence before, during and after the electoral process.
He further noted that the exercise of political rights “at this defining moment should be guided by the rules of the electoral contest and not by the rules of the jungle. While every aspiration is legitimate in a democracy, it should be pursued with decorum, patriotism and utmost restraint.”
The Leader added, “No ambition is worth setting the nation ablaze. As we mark our 66th anniversary of political freedom and prepare for the 2027 elections, political parties and their candidates must conduct their activities within the ambit of the law.
“This is consistent with the vision of our founding fathers to build a united, democratic and prosperous federation that would serve as a leading voice for Black people and the African continent globally. This vision must not be sacrificed on the altar of pedestrian politics.
“Nigeria is our collective heritage. She is greater than the political ambition of any party or candidate. Our activities must be conducted to preserve our collective heritage and not destroy what we have sustainably built.
“As political parties and their candidates campaign across the states of the federation and unveil their agenda for the future of our fatherland, such agenda must align with the wishes and aspirations of our founding fathers.”