Godswill Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, has urged Nigerians and the incoming 10th National Assembly not to judge him based on his brief time serving as the minister of Niger Delta Affairs.
Akpabio stated that he would rather be evaluated on his 36 years of experience as a lawyer, his six years as a commissioner, and his eight years as a governor.
In an interview he gave to journalists on Saturday night in Abuja, he made these claims.
According to The PUNCH, Akpabio, the senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North West, is one of the candidates for the position of Senate President for the 10th National Assembly, which will be inaugurated on June 6.
On the Peoples Democratic Party’s ticket, he was first elected to the Nigerian Senate in 2015, where he served as Minority Leader before switching to the party in power, the All Progressives Congress.
In order to run in the APC presidential primaries for the general elections in 2023, Akpabio resigned from his position as minister of Niger Delta affairs. He later stepped down in favor of the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Abdulaziz Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State, and Senate Chief Whip Orji Uzor Kalu have vowed not to withdraw from the race for the Senate Presidency despite the fact that he is the preferred candidate of the President-elect and APC.
“I am aware that nothing has changed about me. God has given me the chance to be a unique transformer everywhere I go. I don’t want to be judged based on my appointment as a minister for the Niger Delta, which is a notoriously troublesome region. Akpabio told journalists, “But I would like to be judged by my record as a lawyer of 36 years, a Commissioner of 6 years, and a Governor of 8 years.
Read Also: 10th Senate Presidency: Akpabio in trouble as senators nominate different candidate
He pledged to maintain the January–December budget cycle started by the 9th National Assembly if elected Senate President by Nigerians.
He claimed that the implementation of the January-December budget cycle was one of the Assembly’s most significant achievements.
“If my colleagues give me the chance to lead the 10th Assembly, one of the programs I would like to maintain is the January to December budget cycle,” Akpabio said.
“I seriously commend the 9th National Assembly for the introduction of that because it enables proper planning, enables the government to get off to a good start, and also aids in attracting foreign direct investment to the nation.
“So, whether or not I am Senate President, I believe that will be upheld by the 10th Senate. Since it is a shared idea, I am confident that we will be able to keep it going with the help of my coworkers. Everyone is significant.
He also discussed his interactions with some of his coworkers who were against his ambition.
“Whether someone is supportive or not is not the issue at hand. The problem is that we must keep conversing. For the next four years, God has put us together.
In order to completely dispel any misconceptions people may have about me, he said, “We must continue to speak to people.”
