10th Senate: Akpabio might emerge as consensus candidate ― Uzodinma

As the Senate elects its new leadership Tuesday, June 13, the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) and governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, has said that Senator Godswill Akpabio might emerge as the consensus candidate of senators.

Uzodinma confirmed this in a chat with correspondents after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Monday where he was made chairman of a technical committee organised by President Tinubu to oversee the success of the 10th Senate election.

Uzodinma also assured that over 90 per cent of the senators-elect are supporting the former Akwa Ibom State governor who he said would emerge victorious at the upper chamber leaders contest.

Akpabio is facing a stiff race with former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, whose camp believes that his election would reward his northwest zone for the number of votes it gave the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last presidential.

However, confident of Akpabio’s victory, Uzodinma said: “After the event which you all witnessed, we had a closed session with President because what is at stake is national interest, the interest of our country and how to ensure that the new president is supported to succeed.

“All over Africa, Nigeria is being looked upon that this time around we should produce a very strong president who will be bold and courageous in character, who will be able to deliver Nigeria to our usual space of being the leader of the continent.

“So, we don’t want to allow for any domestic distraction to distract him from succeeding.

“So, we are going to pledge our support, and work in synergy with our senators-elect to ensure that the election of tomorrow will be free and fair.

“You must have heard, the president in his wisdom organised a small technical committee to help coordinate the process of tomorrow’s election, which by my position of the chair of the Progressive Governors Forum, I am chairing that technical committee.

“We have done so much work to the extent that God has blessed our efforts that majority of the senators-elect are now in sync with the position of the party.”

Governor Uzodinma was hopeful that rather than an election, Akpabio could even emerge as a consensus candidate of the senators because of his record of performance.

He said: “Well, substantially for a substitute consensus and by the number of people and by the efforts we have put in place, it is our hope that tomorrow it might even be a consensus event.

“But to the glory of God, we pray for that and at the same time, hoping that should we go into an election, Akpabio’s acceptance as of today cuts across the political party we belong.

“Other political parties are there also, some same minds who are interested in the development and progress of Nigeria, who also understand the need to safeguard democracy as being practised in Nigeria today. And they are in sync with our preferred candidate.

“Akpabio is going there to create a win-win situation for members of the parliament. He is not going there to be a dictator. He is going there to work with his colleagues. He is going there to work in synergy. Collectively, they will reason, collectively they will plan, collectively they will deliver the dividends of democracy to the Nigerian people.

“It is about Nigeria and not about the individuals. And he is a man too that has the track record of performance.

“Recall his performance as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State and when he came during the 8th Senate. Even as a first-time senator, he emerged as the minority leader of the senate.

“That is a show of confidence by his colleagues. And I think that he will do that which he knows how to do better this time around.”

Also speaking to correspondents, Akpabio promised, if elected, to lead a robust senate where there must be a public hearing before decisions are made.

He stressed the need to assist President Tinubu to engender the right policies for a vibrant economy that would provide jobs for the unemployed.

Akpabio stated: “Robust legislative debate which I do everything possible to ensure that we meet the aspirations of Nigerians. We will hold public hearings before we take any decision in the interests of Nigerians, for the betterment of Nigeria.

“We will think Nigeria first, every senator irrespective of political party must come into the chambers as a senator of the federal republic of Nigeria.

“So, we have a lot to do. We must assist the president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to put the right policies in place by putting the right legislation in place to make sure that business thrives and create employment opportunities for Nigerians.

“I assure you that every senator is important and there’s no political party once I’m inside there, everybody is important and all political party shall be carried along.”

On how he would pacify senators-elect not supporting him, Akpabio said: “In the business of politics not everybody will be on the same page. But here, we have over 90 percent of people supporting the choice of the party and I believe that even those that are not on board, I assure them that I will carry them on board.”

Also speaking on his chances, he said: “I won’t say anything but I will say we leave it to God almighty.

“But I must thank the chairman of the progressive governors’ forum and the governor of Imo state and former governor of Kano State and all former governors in the APC and all the governors in PDP and other political parties and even all the political parties we have visited who have shown so much support in having one Nigerian National Assembly, one Nigerian senate and a senate that will work for the good people of Nigeria.

“That is my pledge and I assure you that it shall be uncommon.”