Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State Governor on Sunday expressed his support for the Stability Group, which is hoping that Senators Goodswill Akpabio and Barau Jibrin will be elected as the president and vice president of the 10th Senate, respectively.
He said if elected, the Akpabio-led Red Chamber will break legislative records and set new standards.
The governor claimed that after reading the legislative agenda being advanced by the Akpabio-led team to raise the bar of lawmaking and being prepared to work with the incoming administration of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he had decided to support the All Progressives Congress’s zoning decision.
Sanwo-Olu openly endorsed Akpabio and Jibrin when he received members of the Stability Group in a consultative visit at the State House in Marina on Sunday, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile.
The senators-elect’s visit to the governor came a day after members-elect for the House of Representatives visited Sanwo-Olu for consultation.
The Stability Group comprises 69 senators-elect who had already appended their signatures for the emergence of Akpabio and Jubrin.
Sanwo-Olu said the party nomination process to pave the way for election of senate leadership was in order, stressing that Akpabio’s team possessed the political credentials and leadership qualities to bring about uncommon transformation in our country.
The governor urged the senate leadership nominees to make purposeful legislations as their priority, while maintaining harmonious working relationships with other arms of the government with compromising the Red Chamber’s independence.
He said: “Having discussed extensively and listened to all the plans and agenda presented by Stability Group led by Senator Akpabio, I believe it is proper and appropriate that we, in Lagos, give them our official endorsement. This is a project for the stability of the country, which will benefit Nigerians, especially the people who elected these distinguished lawmakers-elect. They are committed to working harmoniously with the executive and this will bring about a win-win for all our citizens and for democracy.
“We are encouraging other lawmakers-elect who are yet to be on this team to fall in line. I will also appeal to the Stability Group to continue their consultation and collaboration, and not to take anyone for granted. They have personally assured me that they will make the senate leadership as inclusive as possible. The diversity they are preaching is reflected in the number of the senators-elect on the team; it is not one party. The membership cuts across all the parties that are represented in the National Assembly.
“I believe the incoming 10th National Assembly will be about great possibilities and shaping new course for the nation. Given the outstanding profile and experience Senator Akpabio and his team are bringing to the table, I believe there will be new standards and new legislative records will break. I will only urge the incoming senate leadership to surpass whatever achievements recorded by the 9th senate.”