President of the Senate, Godswill Obot Akpabio, on Sunday commissioned the National Assembly Chapel in Abuja, declaring that Nigeria's lawmakers must continually submit to divine authority in the discharge of their legislative responsibilities.
Delivering his address at the ceremony, Akpabio described God as the "Supreme Lawgiver" whose eternal authority surpasses all human institutions. He stressed that while parliaments legislate for a season, God legislates for eternity.
"We gather here in humility, knowing that while men legislate for a season, God legislates for eternity. And 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 explained that the event was not merely the commissioning of a structure, but the consecration of a covenant within Nigeria's democratic process.
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"This Chapel stands as a testimony that nations, like men, cannot live by power alone. They endure by faith. They flourish by principle. They are sustained by faith in God," he stated.
Tracing the origin of the project to the Sixth Assembly, Akpabio noted that the Christian Legislators Fellowship initially had no dedicated place of worship and met in borrowed rooms and basements.
He said the chapel site was once abandoned and overgrown before it was revived and completed under the current Tenth Assembly.
Reflecting on his tenure as former governor of Akwa Ibom State, he attributed what he described as the "Uncommon Transformation" of the state to divine grace, emphasizing that God uses individuals as instruments to accomplish greater purposes.
He paid special tribute to the First Lady, Oluremi Bola Tinubu, for her support and presence at the commissioning, describing her as "the Esther of our time."
Akpabio also commended contributors and religious leaders who sustained the vision of the chapel from inception to completion.
Quoting biblical passages including 1 Kings 8:27 and 2 Samuel 7:13, he emphasized that while no physical building can contain God, the chapel would serve as a sacred space where lawmakers seek wisdom, strengthen conscience, and renew hope before legislating.
"This Chapel shall stand as a moral compass in the machinery of governance. Above every earthly authority stands the sovereignty of Almighty God," he declared.
Noting that the dedication coincided with a sacred season of fasting observed by Muslim faithful, the Senate President called on Nigerians of all faiths to unite in prayer for national peace, stability, and progress.
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He concluded with prayers for Nigeria's future, urging that generations to come would remember that in this era, lawmakers affirmed their dependence on God.
"Let this Chapel stand as Nigeria's covenant with heaven... May the Almighty bless this Chapel. May He bless this Assembly. And may He forever bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria," he said.
