Following the race to the presidency of the 10th Senate, the Mayor of Urhoboland, Eshanakpe Israel a.k.a Akpodoro, has described the former governor of Akwa-Ibom state, South-South Nigeria, Senator Godswill Akpabio as the man to beat.
He noted that none of the contestants for the number three office in the country could measure up to the Senator by all standards as he called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC to, as a matter of national cohesion and solidarity, adopt Senator Akpabio as the 10th Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Akpodoro noted that even though all the aspirants were qualified for the number three position, the Akwa-Ibom‐born politician is most qualified as he referenced his achievement as a two-tenured governor in Akwa-Ibom state.
Speaking at a well attended conference organised by the leadeship of the national Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators, NCNDE-A recently, the Mayor who is the Coordinator of the group said, he has decided to throw his weight behind the South-South regional campaign for the emergence of the two-term Senator who he said has the wherewithal to lead the 10th Senate into huge success having proven his mettle in all facets of leadership in the country.
Specifically, the Mayor noted that as a minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Akpabio did marvelously well “leaving a footprint of massive developments in the country through that interventionist ministry.
He said the former governor of Akwa-Ibom state has what he described as superlative interpersonal relationship which he added would be a great advantage for the ‘Uncommon Senator’ to galvanise the Senate into harmonious relationship with other arms of government particularly the executive.
The emergence of the former Minister as Senate President would enable him to propagate a new Nigeria championed by the man he described as the scion of democracy in Nigeria, President-Elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Pointedly, Akpodoro expressed hope that a Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidency with Akpabio as the leader of Nigeria’s parliament will be a great combination that will redirect governance in the country into excellence leaderhip and massive developments across all strata of human endeavour.
He stressed that such combination was what the country needed to birth a new, virile and prosperous nation with the citizens happier for it.
He maintained that the nation at this time of national healing needed a formidable combination with the hearts and soul of statesmanship and these he said are in abundance in the person of President-Elect and Senator Akpabio who he said has both the mental, psychological and moral capacity to build unity, peace and cohesion in the upper legislative chamber .
He explained that an Akpobio s Senate won’t be confrontational nor selfish noting that his track records speak for him as a man who will promote excellent debates aimed at Nigeria’s development adding that at the end of his first tenure as Senate President, Nigerians will further attest to his leadership capacity.
Akpodoro called on the APC NEC, Senators-elect new or old to drive home the need for Akpbio’s leadership in the red chamber, noting that, Nigeria needed a functional Senate that won’t be bedeviled by arnachy.
The Mayor also took a swipe at Senator Victor Ndoma Egba on his stance against the South-South producing the Senate President stating that, but for bellyaching, envy, jealousy, unhealthy rivalry and evil concupiscence plaguing the former Senator, he would have been at the forefront of the struggle for the emergence of South-South Senate presidency but called on the leaders and elders in the region to forgive Senator Egba.
He called on all well-meaning Nigerians and elected parliamentarians to rally support for Senator Akpabio for a better, stronger, more reliable and equitable Nigeria in a renewed hope for all.
