‘He is a bridge builder’ — northern coalition endorses Akpabio for senate president

Danjuma Muhammad, chairman of the coalition, who spoke at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, said the office of the senate president has never been occupied by a Nigerian of southern minority extraction since 1999 when the country returned to democracy.

“This is not good for our collective national unity as people of diverse nationalities need to encourage and support each other,” Muhammad said.

“However, despite our views and sentiments, we are bold to say that merit, competence and integrity should not be sacrificed on the altar of mediocrity in considering who becomes the next senate president of the 10th assembly.”

The chairman said the coalition, after deliberations and consultations, decided to endorse and support the emergence of Godswill Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom to become the next senate president.

Muhammad said the coalition was motivated to support Akpabio because he has demonstrated love and patriotic desire toward the northern region as a bridge builder.

“Our decision to endorse and support senator Godswill Akpabio for the coveted office of the senate president was motivated by the patriotic desire with so much love he has demonstrated toward our region as a bridge builder through synergies of social relationship and peaceful coexistence,” he said.

“Also, his zeal to ensure a smooth and amicable working relationship between the executive and the legislative arms of government due to his wealth of experience in administrative and legislative management.

“The national assembly being the engine room of democratic governance requires a man of positive action and uncommon leadership ability like distinguished senator Godswill Akpabio as its chairman.

“From his antecedents and accomplishments, distinguished senator Godswill Akpabio possesses the requisite quality of leadership and innate ability to lead the next national assembly to successful deliberations (without crises or fracas) to surmount the monumental challenges confronting the nation.

“To this end, our various organisations have unanimously decided to formally and interpersonally appeal to individual members and senators-elect, on the need to support distinguished senator Godswill Akpabio as the next senate president and chairman of the joint assembly.

“We appeal to the able leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to consolidate the party’s new political gains in the south-south geo-political zone, as evident in the just concluded presidential election by ensuring that distinguished senator Godswill Akpabio  emerges as the next senate president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”