By Chimezie Godfrey
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State on Wednesday described the aspirations of Senators Godswill Akpabio and Jibrin Barau for the positions of the Senate President and Deputy of the 10th Senate as his personal project that he would work to achieve for the stability of the President Bola Tinubu Presidency.
He also stated that the former Minister Niger Delta Affairs, was his role model and his style of governance really endeared him to want to be like him, particularly his uncommon transformation documentary which he passionately watched on the Television when he was the governor of Akwa Ibom State.
He disclosed that because of his trust in the leadership prowess of Akpabio, “even before the issue of zoning came up on who to endorse for the position of the Senate President, I had already told our three Senators to team up with Akpabio. Please when you emerge the Senate President by the special grace of God, have Kogi State and the development of the North Central zone in your mind, particularly the completion and commissioning of the over 90 percent execution of Ajaokuta Steel Company.”
Receiving members of the Senate Stability Group, who came to thank him for his support for the Akpabio/Barau project in Abuja, the former All Progressives presidential aspirant said, “it is the practice allover the world that presidents and even governors show special interest in who leads the legislative arm of government for unity of purpose towards delivering dividends of democracy”.
He opined that President Tinubu was not demanding too much from the lawmakers on his choices for the leadership of the 10th Senate in the persons of Senators Akpabio and Barau, saying “even America’s democracy is guided, you can’t have it all. If you don’t guide it, we would be moving in different directions.
” I have therefore taken over the choices of the President and the leadership of our party for the positions of the Senate President and Deputy as my personal project. We must support these choices for them to emerge as declared by Mr President and our party.
“The current government needs stability to turn around the fortunes of the people for good and that can’t be achieved in a state of rancor. President Tinubu believes in the capacity of Akpabio to lead the Senate inorder to drive home his agenda for Nigerians. Let us give him all the necessary support.”
In his speech, the Senate Presidential hopeful, Senator Akpabio, thanked Governor Bello for his unsolicited support for his aspiration, saying, “I am just hearing from you now that even before I declared my interest in the Senate Leadership, you were already mobilizing for me. Thank you sir.
“Let me assure you that the 10th Senate is determined to work for Nigerians in a bipartisan manner. We believe strongly that President Tinubu is a total Nigerian. His election was across party lines and that is what we are also bringing to the Senate. We will look at legislations that would make our youth positively engaged to reduce banditry and crimes. We will also support the war against corruption,” he stressed.
Those who also spoke included the party’s preferred deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, Senator Ali Ndume and Senator-elect Dave Umahi.
