…commend APC’s choice of zoning the Senate president position to S’South

By Gabriel Ewepu, ABUJA

AHEAD of June 13, 2023, the inauguration of the National Assembly, kinsmen of Senator Godswill Akpabio, under the auspices of Ntipe Ibibio Unity Mission, Wednesday, threw weight behind his senate presidency ambition.

The Convener of Ntipe Ibibio Unity Mission, Amb Okon Mkpafit, said Senator Akpabio remains the best choice for the senate president position among personalities from Southern Nigeria and the South-South geopolitical zone of the country.

Mkpafit also revealed that Akpabio’s kinsmen have been working to ensure that he emerges the Senate President in the 10th National Assembly, and they are calling on the chieftains and members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, including other contestants to support Akpabio.

He said: “We the kinsmen of Senator Godswill Akpabio under Ntipe Ibibio Unity Mission, unequivocally declare our unalloyed support of APC Zoning of the Senate President to South-South Geo-Political Zone, and throw our behind Senator Godswill Akpabio as the Senate President of the 5th Republic.

“APC Zoning of Senate President Position to South-South Geo–Political Zone, we can recall that the last time the Senate President position came from South-South was in 1979, which was the Second Republic, which saw the emergence of the Distinguished Senator Joseph Wayas.

“We plead with all the senators-elect to join hands to ensure South-South Senate Presidency is actualized, hence support Senator Godswill Akpabio for the position of Senate President.”

He added that Akpabio when he was the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, there was a massive transformation and his legacy on infrastructural and human capacity development is still visibly seen in the State.

However, he (Mkpafi) warned that any scheming and pressure on the party to throw out Akpabio will be counterproductive, and if the party bows to the pressure from some of those who are not qualified will not speak well of the party.

“We have heard and seen how some persons are piling pressure on the APC leadership to drop Senator Akpabio, and we warn that if that happens it will affect the party negatively and that would be counterproductive, and therefore we counsel that the choice of the party be upheld.

“We also call all Nigerians to join hands with the in-coming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to build our great nation and make it the ‘Giant of Africa’ indeed, the joy of the Black Nations and the citadel of greatness; and once again reclaim our enviable position among the comity of Nations”, he added.