Former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has declared his total support for Godswill Akpabio to emerge as the Senate President for the 10th National Assembly.
According to Wike, those against Akpabio’s choice are only trying to lay a stumbling block in the path of the administration of President Bola Tinubu so there can be room for rancour between the executive and legislative arms of government.
The former Governor who was quoted by his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri in a statement in Port Harcourt on Tuesday stated that those working against the emergence of Akpabio are those who earlier fought against Tinubu’s presidential ambition.
Buttressing his support for Akpabio further, Wike was said to have submitted that it is right for the south-south to produce the next Senate President because the region has only produced one Senate president, far back in 1979, Joseph Wayas while the Southeast has produced over seven.
He said: “There is something going in the country now about the Senate presidency and the House leadership, and everybody knows my position. My position is that the (Senate) presidency should come to the South-South. We are not talking about the presidency of the country now, we are done with that.
“If you agree that (Senate) presidency should go to the south, tell me the truth, where should it go? It can’t be in the Southwest. It can’t be in the Southeast. Southsouth has only produced one Senate president, far back in 1979, Joseph Wayas. Southeast has produced over seven.”
He added that the Tinubu administration should be allowed to kick off on a cordial note with the legislative arm by supporting the preferred candidate of the President and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The party (All Progressives Congress) and the President appear to have a soft spot for Akpabio. I would have thought that people will say, look allow this administration to start on a very good foundation, so nobody gives us excuses that why this administration could not start on good footing is because of the rancour between the executive and the legislature.”
“If Mr. President doesn’t have a smooth administration, at the end of the day, who suffers? Is it not Nigerians? Let us believe that we are all one, let us give everyone a sense of belonging”, he added.
