Senate President Godswill Akpabio brazenly requested President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday to assist his bid for re-election as chief of the eleventh Senate in 2027.
He additionally appealed to the president to discourage Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State from aspiring to switch him as Senate president.
Mr Akpabio made the dramatic request on the inauguration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council on the State House, Abuja.
“Mr President, you already know that we (the National Assembly) are with you. Please, take the advice of Governor Soludo seriously. He (Soludo) said if the cloth is not torn, why try to amend it? If you try to amend it, you are going to tear the cloth,” Mr Akpabio mentioned to Mr Tinubu, in an obvious request for political assist within the race for the management of the eleventh Senate.
“If the National Assembly is so much with you, why not encourage them to come back and support you in your second term?”
Continuing, Mr Akpabio despatched a veiled warning to Mr Uzodimma, cautioning him to focus on his present tasks as governor.
“And for my brothers who are governors, I want you to know: you must not abandon your people. I did eight years as a governor. The constitution says you should do eight years. There is no need for you to start eyeing another position that is not available,” mentioned Mr Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State.
“I have been in this business for over 25 years, and I always win,” he added.
Although Mr Akpabio didn’t point out Mr Uzodimma by title, his warning in opposition to governors eyeing different political workplaces was clearly focused on the Imo governor, who’s the APC senatorial candidate for Imo West District for the 2027 elections.
PREMIUM TIMES understands that Mr Uzodimma has perfected plans to resign as governor earlier than his tenure expires and change to the Senate if he wins the overall election.
Mr Uzodimma’s second time period as governor will finish in January 2028, whereas the eleventh Senate is anticipated to be inaugurated in June 2027.
‘I’ll be on the poll as senatorial candidate’ – Uzodimma
Mr Uzodimma, the secretary of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, advised the gathering that the president’s re-election bid was inseparable from the electoral fortunes of different APC candidates, together with himself.
“Mr President, you will be on the ballot on 16 January 2027. But if we are honest with ourselves, so will we,” he mentioned.
“I will be on the ballot as a senatorial candidate. So, all of us. The challenge of re-electing Mr President is the challenge of re-electing every member of APC.”
The governor urged occasion members to resolve inside disagreements and work collectively to safe victory.
“We must jettison every misgiving we have against each other. We must reconcile our differences. We must rally as one family behind the party and all the candidates,” he mentioned.
He added that the APC had a bonus forward of the elections due to the “acceptance” of the occasion by Nigerians and Mr Tinubu’s “record” in workplace.
“Mr President has made our task easier by giving us a record we can defend with pride,” Mr Uzodimma mentioned.
Senate presidency contest
The Senate presidency is determined by senators, circuitously by the president or state governors. The final result will depend on the Senate’s composition after the elections and contenders’ means to safe their colleagues’ assist. However, the president’s assist typically performs a key function in who emerges as Senate president.
Mr Akpabio’s name for continuity alerts his desire to protect the present legislative association, with him as Senate president.
Mr Uzodimma’s senatorial ambition, in the meantime, introduces one other influential political determine into the competition for positions within the subsequent Senate.
I gained’t go all over the place with you, Tinubu tells marketing campaign council
President Tinubu, whereas inaugurating the marketing campaign council, said the council would coordinate marketing campaign actions throughout states and native authorities areas, whereas he would focus on operating the federal government.
“The responsibility of this office does not pause,” the president declared.
“I’ll nonetheless make time to talk instantly with Nigerians, at the same time as you lead the marketing campaign within the states and native authorities areas.
“So you will excuse me from going everywhere with you. We have bills to pay.”
The APC Presidential Campaign Council, led by Director-General Abdulaziz Yari, is about to kick off its presidential marketing campaign in Kaduna on 24 October.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, governors, high politicians, and APC youth and girls teams, amongst different dignitaries, attended the occasion.
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