Ahead of Tuesday’s election of the next Senate President, Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Governor Seyi Makinde, on Monday, said all the 36 governors have resolved to support the choice of Senator Godswill Akpabio to emerge as the next Senate President.
Makinde said the governors, regardless of party lines, aligned with the choice of President Bola Tinubu of the next Senate President being a Christian from the South-South based on the need for fairness and equity.
Though he downplayed playing politics along religious lines, Makinde said it was fair to have a Christian Senate President since the president and vice president were Muslims.
Makinde made this stance known while speaking at the post second term inauguration interdenominational thanksgiving service organised by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Fathers of Faith in Oyo State, held at Oritamefa Baptist Church, Total Garden, Ibadan.
Speaking further, Makinde said the governors were resolved to stand by their choice of the next Senate President and shame those he described as ‘enemies of the country.’
He said, “We have an assignment and it is a big deal for this country. This time tomorrow, the leadership of the National Assembly will be known. Our reality is that there are enemies of this country. They believe in sowing seeds of discord.
“They tried it in Oyo State in the last election, the people of the state did not allow them and they went away in shame. And we will do it at the national level. Tomorrow, they will go away in shame. “We already have a president that is of Islamic faith; we have a Vice President who is of Islamic faith; the number three is the Senate President.
“We, the governors in Nigeria across party lines, came together and said we will support the choice of the president, who is a Christian from the South-South.
“We are not playing religious political but what is fair is fair. We stood for Southern presidency. We stood for justice, fairness and equity as well; we are going to stand for equity, as well, in this regard.”
Speaking further, Makinde said the fathers of faith in Oyo State bought him into vying for a second term in office with the argument that he needed to consolidate upon his strides in his first term.
Promising not to disappoint the religious leaders and people of the state who entrusted him with another term in office, Makinde said his task was that by 2027 when he would be completing his second term, Oyo State should be at a height enviable in the comity of states of the nation.
Chairman, CAN, Oyo State chapter, Apostle Joshua Akinyemiju, who delivered the sermon, harped on the importance of thanksgiving to God, particularly being deliberate about it.
While noting that thanksgiving usually heralds more blessings, Akinyemiju called on fathers of faith, religious leaders to continue to pray for the nations leaders across all levels.
The event attended by many clerics featured prayers for the governor and his family, the state, the nation, the church, government at all levels.
Roll call of clerics that attended the service included former CAN president, Reverend Dr Supo Ayokunle; deputy chairman, Christian Council of Nigeria, Oyo State chapter, Bishop David Moradeyo; Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo, Most Reverend Ayo Badejo; President, Nigeria Baptist Convention, Reverend Israel Akanji; Evangelist Bola Are; Prophet Gideon Owoseni: Apostle Sunday Popoola; and many others.