Senate Presidency: Don’t succumb to pressure, group urges APC

Ahead to the inauguration of the tenth National Assembly on June 13, 2023, kinsmen of Godswill Akpabio, the consensus candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the office of Senate President, have put their support behind his candidacy.

The Ntipe Ibibio Unity Mission also urged the ruling APC not to give in to pressure from those opposed to the candidacy of the “best man for the job.”

Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa-Ibom state, was named the APC’s “consensus candidate” for the Senate presidency.

His election has caused quite a stir, with some members of the party asking for a different candidate.

However, while addressing the press on Wednesday, the convener of the Ntipe Ibibio Unity Mission, Okon Mkpafit, said Akpabio remains the best choice for the senate president position among personalities from Southern Nigeria and 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 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 presidency to South-South and throw our weight behind Senator Godswill Akpabio.

“We recall that the last time the position came to our zone was in 1979, which was the Second Republic, which saw the emergence of the Senator Joseph Wayas.

“We plead with all the senators-elect to join hands to ensure that our zone produces the next senate.”

He however warned that any scheming and pressure on the party to throw out Akpabio will be counterproductive.

“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 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.