President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday said Nigeria and the United States are united by shared democratic values, noting that Nigeria’s democratic system is largely modelled after that of America.
Akpabio stressed the need for both countries to continue nurturing and preserving this common democratic goal while strengthening bilateral relations.
The Senate President made the remarks while receiving the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard M. Mills Jnr, who paid him a courtesy visit at the National Assembly, Abuja.
In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Anietie Ekong, Akpabio said the engagement was timely, especially given the evolving global and bilateral challenges.
“These are very difficult times, but I am happy that my distinguished colleagues are here and that we are having this engagement,” Akpabio was quoted as saying. “This is a visit we have been looking forward to, and we even proposed visiting you to have an overview of the current situation between our two countries.”
He also recalled his recent interaction with the US envoy during America’s 249th Independence Anniversary, congratulating the United States on its long history of democratic practice.
“That means you have practised democracy for 249 years. We cannot say we have done the same in Nigeria,” he said. “However, the collaboration between our countries is strong, and our democracy and system of government are modelled after that of the United States of America.”
Akpabio further noted shared values beyond governance, pointing to faith as a unifying factor between both nations.
“One thing I know is that America has remained prosperous and has assisted many countries of the world because of its strong belief that ‘In God we trust.’ In Nigeria, despite our religious and ethnic diversities, we also believe that God is the greatest. So, we share something in common,” he said, welcoming the envoy to the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In his response, Ambassador Mills said his visit was aimed at deepening discussions on US–Nigeria relations and exploring ways to further strengthen cooperation between both countries.
He added that the United States Mission was keen on advancing shared objectives and understanding the legislative agenda of the Nigerian Senate in the year ahead.
