The Senate on Tuesday urged Senator Danladi to withdraw a bill seeking to relocate a Federal Polytechnic to Nasarawa Eggon, Nasarawa State, and instead sponsor a fresh bill to establish a new institution in the area.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio gave the advice during plenary while presiding over the second reading of the Federal Polytechnics Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (SB. 1065), sponsored by Danladi.
The lawmaker had proposed relocating the institution to Nasarawa North Senatorial District, arguing that the conversion of the Federal Polytechnic in Nasarawa West into a university had left his constituency without a federal institution of higher learning.
Presenting the bill, Danladi said, “The Federal Polytechnic in Nasarawa West Senatorial District has been upgraded to a university status, and my bill is to urge this hallowed Chamber to relocate the upgraded polytechnic to Nasarawa Eggon in Nasarawa North Senatorial District of Nasarawa State.”
He added, “We in Nasarawa North Senatorial District do not have any federal institution.”
Akpabio, however, noted that the bill could create complications, as the institution proposed for relocation had already been upgraded to a university.
He warned that moving it under the proposed amendment could effectively mean relocating the university, potentially provoking opposition from the community hosting it.
“Your bill cannot go for second reading because you are talking about relocation. If you relocate it, it has already been upgraded to university status, so if you relocate it, you are relocating the university and the whole community will not be happy,” the Senate President said.
Akpabio advised Danladi to let the upgraded institution remain at its present location and sponsor a new bill to establish a Federal Polytechnic in Nasarawa Eggon.
“What you need to do is to, in view of the fact that the existing Federal Polytechnic has been upgraded, leave it where it is, then bring a fresh Bill for a Federal Polytechnic to be created in Nasarawa Eggon,” Akpabio said.
Akpabio expressed confidence that the proposal would receive the support of the Senate and President Bola Tinubu if pursued through the appropriate legislative process.
“Then the Senate will support you, and I believe the President will support you, because that is like replacing the old Federal Polytechnic, because that one no longer exists. It has been upgraded,” he added.
To further explain his position, the Senate President likened the situation to a primary school being upgraded to a secondary school, arguing that the former could no longer be treated as a separate institution eligible for relocation.
“It’s like having a primary school, and they upgrade it to secondary school. If you have a primary school in your village and then you request that the Federal Government upgrades the primary school to a secondary school.
He added that the upgrade meant the primary school no longer existed as a separate institution that could be relocated.
“It means that the primary school no longer exists. You cannot request that the whole primary school should be taken to another location,” he said.
Danladi accepted the advice, thanking Akpabio for the clarification.
“I think that should be the best way. Your Excellency, I am most obliged for this guidance,” the senator said.
The bill was subsequently stepped down to give the sponsor time to prepare a fresh proposal for the establishment of a Federal Polytechnic in Nasarawa Eggon.
If approved, the proposed institution would widen access to technical and vocational education in Nasarawa North, which Danladi said lacked a federal institution of higher learning.