One of former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s sons, Olujonwo Obasanjo, has supported Godswill Akpabio’s campaign for the Senate’s top office. Akpabio previously served as governor of Akwa Ibom State.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and son of the former president endorsed Abbas Tajudeen’s bid to become the House of Representatives’ next speaker.
As the Senate President and House Speaker for the 10th National Assembly, respectively, Messrs. Akpabio and Tajudeen were proposed by the APC’s National Working Committee.
Other candidates for the two positions and their backers have criticized the nominations on the basis of the party’s zoning methodology.
But, the vice president-elect, Kashim Shettima, on Friday said the nominations were considered in order to ensure that the party balances religion in the political leadership of the country.
Mr Obasanjo, while addressing journalists in Abuja on Saturday, appealed to the federal lawmakers-elect to support the nominations of the APC.
He said Mr Akpabio is qualified for the office, having demonstrated loyalty to the party and to the president-elect, Bola Tinubu.
“Senator Akpabio obtained APC’s presidential nomination form but on the night of the primary, he was the first aspirant to step down for the now president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
Senator Akpabio has earned the respect and trust of the leadership of the party and the president-elect and all other stakeholders. Therefore, his nomination as the next president of the Senate is very welcome.”
The former president’s son also claimed that Mr Abass possesses the qualities to be a good Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“Hon. Tajudeen Abass’s exceptional contribution to law-making alone is enough to secure him the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives,” he said.
“This unassuming gentleman from the famous Zazzau royal family is a trailblazer in the aspect of lawmaking that he alone has sponsored 74 bills and 21 of them have been signed into law by the President,” he added.
“Hon Abass is so loved and trusted by his constituents that he has been returned to represent them for the third term in the House. Hon Abass’s constituency projects are well on the ground in every part of the constituency and of the 114 bills signed into law between 2019 and now, he single-handedly has 21 in a House of 360 members.”