Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.
He used the opportunity of the visit on Sunday night by 10pm to inform the President of his plan to contest for the office of the Senate President when the 10th National Assembly is inaugurated in June, this year.
Speaking after meeting with President Buhari, the former two-time Governor of Akwa Ibom state said as President of the Senate, he would work closely with incoming Asiwaju Bola Tinubu Presidency to empower Nigerians, particularly the youth.
His words: “I made that promise even on the convention day that being a man who used to turn boys into men and who still does, that I will like to work with the in-coming president, who has also shown that example in Lagos State as a governor and thereafter as a leader of the APC in Nigeria. He has continued to turn boys into men and as the President of the country, after his swearing-in, I expect that he continue to do so”.
The Senator-elect, who said besides visiting to inform the President of his intent to lead the next Senate, he also used the visit to express his appreciation to him for giving him the opportunity to serve as Minister in his administration, adding that he presented his Certificate of Returns to the number one citizen.
On what his programme for Nigerians would be if he emerges Senate President, the former Senate Minority Leader said “a lot of reforms, Akpabio is known as an uncommon transformer. Akpabio is known as a man who is results-oriented. You will recall that when I was a governor, I brought a lot of innovations to bear, infrastructurally, educationally, socially and otherwise and also in terms of human empowerment.
“I intend to bring a lot of reforms into the Senate, in the ways and manners we do business, to assist the next administration to succeed. We will be very thorough in doing everything; we’ll bring about loyalty to the Constitution, we’ll bring about loyalty to Nigerians.
“We will tackle issues through legislations to empower Nigerians and particularly the youth. The restiveness that we are seeing across the nation, we’ll do our best to make good laws and to assist the administration to bring about policies that will empower the youths of the country.
“So the youths are in for a very good time, in terms of empowerment, there will be no time for slacking and we’ll restrict a lot of them from being lured into criminality, into brigandage and all that. So we’ll get them working and I believe that with the help of the Almighty that both the National Assembly and the Executive will do a lot for the youths of this country”, he said.
Asked how far with his consultations with other Senators and leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Akpabio said “yes, we have been doing that, we’ve done a lot of consultations and they’ve been very positive and well received. It’s almost like a woman who is already eight months pregnant, just a month to deliver”.
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
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