Nigeria’s political and spiritual leaders on Sunday gathered at the National Assembly to witness the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, commission the legislature’s first Christian chapel, using the occasion to urge repentance, unity, patriotism, and God-guided lawmaking.
Attended by ministers, diplomats, and senior clerics, it focused on the responsibilities of lawmakers serving over 200 million Nigerians.
Senator Tinubu, who was the Special Guest of Honour at the event and cut the ribbon to mark the inauguration of the Chapel, praised the visionary leadership of the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, in completing the project, which was started in the 8th Assembly.
The Senate president recalled that when he assumed office and visited the site earmarked for the chapel, it had been abandoned.
Akpabio said: “When I first came to this place as the President of the Senate, it was overgrown with weeds—silent and abandoned.
“And we resolved that neglect would not have the final word.
“Delay would not have the final word.
“Faith would have the final word.”
Akpabio described the chapel as a covenant between lawmakers and God.
“While men legislate for a season, God legislates for eternity,” he said.
He noted that the chapel was completed through contributions from past and present lawmakers, not public funds, and called on Nigerians to focus on competence and patriotism in leadership.
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, in his admonition reminded lawmakers that their authority is temporary, while God’s is eternal.
“I think all lawmakers must have the same humility, because the eternal lawmaker is God himself,” Kukah said.
He urged legislators to enact laws reflecting unity and shared humanity, warning against division and hypocrisy.
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, cited 2 Chronicles 7:14, stressing that repentance is key to national revival.
Dogara also warned that the chapel’s significance depends on the presence of unity among lawmakers.
Former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, congratulated the National Assembly and urged lawmakers to prioritise national unity over religious differences.
Gowon said: “God says that we should love one another as we love ourselves.
“We must use this to ensure the continuity and unity of this country.”
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, reminded legislators that the chapel symbolises accountability to God.
