Godswill Akpabio, a former minister of Niger Delta affairs and current senator-elect for the Ikot-Ekpene Senatorial District, notified President Muhammadu Buhari of his intention to serve as the 10th Senate’s president on Sunday in Abuja.
Akpabio made this disclosure after meeting with the President at Aso Rock Villa, the President’s official house in Abuja. He also pledged to collaborate closely with the next administration in the youth’s best interests.
The meeting took place just a few hours after Abdulaziz Yari, another Senate candidate running for president, visited Buhari and encouraged the ruling All Progressives Congress to enable the North to produce the next Senate leader since they significantly influenced President-elect Bola Tinubu’s victory.
When asked about his plans if elected to man the third highest office in the land, Akpabio said, “A lot of reforms! Akpabio is known as an uncommon transformer. Akpabio is known as a man who is result-oriented.
“You will recall that when I was a governor, I brought a lot of innovations to bear, infrastructurally, educationally, socially and otherwise and also in terms of human empowerment.
“I intend to bring a lot of reforms into the Senate, in the way and manner we do business, to assist the next administration to succeed. We will be very thorough in doing everything; we’ll bring about loyalty to the Constitution, we’ll bring about loyalty to Nigerians.”
The former Akwa Ibom State Governor said his presidency would tackle issues through legislation to empower Nigerians, particularly the youth.
He noted that, “With the restiveness that we are seeing across the nation, we’ll do our best to make good laws and to assist the administration to bring about policies that will empower the youths of the country.
“I made that promise even on the convention day that being a man who used to turn boys into men and who still does, I will like to work with the incoming President, who has also shown that example in Lagos State as a governor and thereafter as a leader of the APC in Nigeria.
“He has continued to turn boys into men and as the President of the country, after his swearing-in, I expect that he continues to do so.”
Pressed for specifics, Akpabio said he would ensure the kind of empowerment that restricts the instrumentalisation of youths for criminality and political gains.
“So, we’ll get them working and I believe that with the help of the Almighty, that both the National Assembly and the Executive will do a lot for the youths of this country,” he added.
On his consultations with other lawmakers and the leadership of the APC, he said, “Yes, we have been doing that, we’ve done a lot of consultations and they’ve been very positive and well received.
“It’s almost like a woman who is already eight months pregnant, just a month to deliver.”
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