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Akpabio made the call in Uyo, the state capital, during activities marking the 39th anniversary of Akwa Ibom State’s creation.

The Senate President, a former governor of the state, also commended Eno for what he described as his commitment to development, peace, and economic advancement in the state.

Akpabio said Akwa Ibom’s progress should remain above partisan considerations, stressing the need for continuity in the state’s development.

He said, ‘I therefore commend Governor Umo Eno for sustaining the journey of development through the ARISE Agenda and for his commitment to peace, rural development, economic advancement and the welfare of our people.

‘The progress of Akwa Ibom must always rise above partisan considerations. Every generation of leaders has a duty to add another storey to the edifice handed down to it.’

Speaking on the 2027 elections, Akpabio called for the re-election of Tinubu and Eno, while expressing confidence in support for the President across the South-South region.

‘President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a friend of the South-South zone, and he will get maximum victory from the region and other parts of the country,’ the Senate President said.

Akpabio also urged the people of Akwa Ibom to continue supporting the state’s development, saying the 39th anniversary should be an opportunity to reflect on its progress and future.

He said the state had grown significantly since its creation in 1987, attributing its development to the resilience and contributions of its people.

‘Our greatest resource has always been our people,’ he said.

Akpabio also recalled his tenure as governor of the state, saying the infrastructure, institutions and human-capital investments made during his administration provided foundations for subsequent governments to build upon.

‘The years of Uncommon Transformation demonstrated what is possible when vision is matched by courage, when public resources are deployed for the public good, and when leadership refuses to accept yesterday’s limitations as the boundaries of tomorrow’s possibilities,’ he said.

He urged the people to look beyond the anniversary celebrations and work towards building a state with greater opportunities for young people, enterprise and innovation.

‘The task before us is not merely to celebrate how far we have travelled, but to imagine how much farther we can go,’ Akpabio said.

‘Akwa Ibom is rising. And together, we shall continue to build a future worthy of the dreams of our founding fathers.’

Akwa Ibom was created on September 23, 1987, by the military administration of former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida.

The Coalition of Presidential Campaign Council of Support Groups in Oyo State has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to recognise and re-engage grassroots support groups that mobilised for the President during the 2023 presidential election.

The coalition made the appeal on Saturday at an emergency press briefing and stakeholders’ meeting held at Domino Hall, Ring Road, Ibadan.

It said its structures across the state remained available to support the communication of government policies and programmes and strengthen grassroots engagement ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The meeting was presided over by the coalition’s Chief Coordinator in Oyo State, Hon. Yemi Akinwale ‘JP’ (Havana), and attended by executives and state coordinators of various presidential support groups.

The coalition said its members mobilised across the 33 local government areas, 351 wards and 6,390 polling units in Oyo State during the 2023 presidential election to campaign for Tinubu and the APC.

It, however, expressed concern that many coordinators, foot soldiers and support groups that participated in the campaign had, two years after the election, not been adequately engaged, recognised or integrated into governance and party administration processes.

Akinwale, in his opening speech, said the coalition was not seeking confrontation with the Presidency or the APC but wanted a structured relationship that would allow grassroots mobilisers to contribute to governance beyond election periods.

He said the groups had built structures at the grassroots that could be deployed to explain government policies, communicate programmes and provide feedback from communities to the authorities.

The coalition urged the Presidency and APC leadership to establish a framework for engaging the support groups, saying such a structure would strengthen communication and grassroots participation ahead of the 2027 elections.

‘Our message today is simple: we seek recognition, inclusion and engagement,’ he said.

‘We are not here to complain. We are not here to create division. We are not here to undermine the leadership of our party or the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

‘Rather, we are here to offer ourselves as partners who remain available and willing to contribute to the success of the administration.’

According to him, the support groups should not be regarded solely as election-time organisations because their members maintain relationships within communities and understand issues affecting people at the grassroots.

He said the structures could assist the government in communicating its policies and programmes, correcting misinformation and providing feedback from communities.

‘We believe that a government cannot effectively communicate its policies, programmes and achievements to the grassroots without engaging the structures and individuals who have established relationships within those communities,’ Akinwale said.

The coalition consequently appealed to Tinubu, the national leadership of the APC and relevant federal authorities, including the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, to create mechanisms for the inclusion of Oyo support groups in federal appointments, boards, empowerment programmes, palliative distribution and policy communication.

It also requested a formal meeting with Tinubu or any authority designated by him to present a proposed roadmap for using the coalition’s structures across the state for grassroots engagement.

The group said such an arrangement would enable its members to communicate the achievements of the administration, address misinformation and provide feedback from citizens while preparing the structures for the 2027 electoral cycle.

The coalition also announced plans to commence the immediate re-energisation of its structures across the wards and local governments, including door-to-door sensitisation on the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration.

It reaffirmed its loyalty to Tinubu, First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu and the APC, while stressing that its request for inclusion was not an assertion of entitlement.

Akinwale said the coalition recognised the importance of competence, responsibility, discipline and due process in governance, adding that members who had demonstrated commitment and possessed the requisite capacity should be considered for appropriate opportunities.

‘Our position is that those who have demonstrated commitment and possess the requisite capacity should be given opportunities to contribute where appropriate,’ he said.

The coalition also commended what it described as reform initiatives of the Tinubu administration, citing foreign exchange reforms, the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund and the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative.

It equally commended the Renewed Hope Initiative of the First Lady for interventions targeting women, youths and vulnerable Nigerians.

However, the coalition said the reported lack of engagement with grassroots support groups had affected the morale of some members and weakened structures that could otherwise assist in communicating government programmes at the community level.

Looking ahead to 2027, the coalition said its structures remained spread across the 33 local government areas, 351 wards and 6,390 polling units of the state, stressing that proper coordination and engagement could strengthen communication between the government and citizens.

It declared its readiness to support Tinubu’s 2027 campaign, saying it had the capacity to mobilise across the state if adequately engaged and supported.

The coalition concluded by describing its intervention as a call for partnership rather than opposition, insisting that it remained committed to Nigeria, Oyo State, the APC and the Renewed Hope administration.

Civil servants under the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Delta State on Friday shut the entrances to the Prof. Chike Odozien Secretariat in Asaba, protesting the death of a director following an alleged confrontation at the complex.

The workers demanded an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Unity Adeda, a Director in the Ministry of Secondary Education, who reportedly died in hospital on Friday, a day after an alleged incident of beating.

The protest also focused on the safety of civil servants, with the workers asking the state government to provide assurances that they could perform their duties without fear before returning to work.

Sources familiar with the incident alleged that Adeda was involved in a confrontation with a certain Commissioner during which the director was allegedly assaulted.

The sources further alleged that the commissioner had asked Unity whether he knew him, to which the director reportedly replied that he did not.

The allegation of assault has not been independently established, while the circumstances surrounding the confrontation and Unity’s subsequent death remain subject to investigation.

Addressing the protesters, the Delta State NLC Chairman, Comrade Goodluck Ofobruku, said the union was concerned about the safety of workers and would engage the state government on the matter.

Ofobruku said labour would pursue an amicable resolution but insisted that workers must be assured of their safety before resuming duties.

He said workers could return on Monday if the government addressed their concerns, but would stay away if no satisfactory assurances were given.

‘We must assure workers that they are safe in their places of work. And whoever is responsible for this beating that led to his untimely death must be brought to book before we come back,’ Ofobruku said.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Joint Civil Service Negotiating Council, Comrade Benson Efeotor, said the council was working to establish the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death.

Efeotor said he had visited the Ministry of Education and made inquiries about the deceased, who he said worked at the Science Centre.

He appealed to the workers to remain calm and avoid violence or destruction of government property while discussions with the state government continued.

The Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, assured the workers that the government would not conceal the outcome of any investigation.

Aniagwu said the immediate priority is to establish what happened and determine the actual cause of Adeda’s death through appropriate investigation and medical examination.

‘There are different conjectures as to what may have led to the death of our brother who passed away in the hospital. Perhaps, the autopsy would be able to establish what transpired and indeed medical examination will determine the cause of death,’ he said.

The commissioner assured the workers that the findings would be made public and that appropriate action would follow.

‘I can assure you that nothing is going to be swept under the carpet. It will be known what happened and then the necessary action will be taken,’ Aniagwu said.

He urged the workers to remain restrained and commended labour leaders for conducting the protest peacefully.

Aniagwu stressed that every life is important and deserves protection, irrespective of the individual’s position or relationship with others.

The Area Commander, Asaba, ACP Alex Udeze, who was at the scene, said the police were invited following the unrest and responded to maintain law and order.

The state government and labour unions are expected to continue discussions as workers await the outcome of investigations into the circumstances surrounding Adeda’s death.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Oyo State governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has challenged the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) to demonstrate its nationwide political structure and strength before presenting Governor Seyi Makinde as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

Alli, through his Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO), also criticised the APM’s call for President Bola Tinubu to step aside for Makinde.

In a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, the organisation said a presidential bid required nationwide organisation and electoral structures across the country.

It asked the APM to disclose the extent of its structures across the federation and demonstrate its capacity to contest effectively across the states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The statement also questioned Makinde’s record on local government administration in Oyo State, alleging that his administration had weakened the 33 local governments in the state.

‘APM’s Makinde is averse to the third tier of government in Nigeria, and this is evident in his seven-year anti-local government administration in Oyo State,’ the statement said.

The SSACO said the APM should demonstrate its seriousness by having candidates across various elective positions in at least one-third of the country.

It also challenged Makinde to demonstrate political strength in Oyo State before seeking to lead a nationwide presidential campaign.

‘A man seeking to conquer Nigeria must first demonstrate compelling political strength on his own turf. Charity, as the saying goes, begins at home,’ the statement said.

The organisation said the 2027 presidential election would ultimately be determined by voters, while highlighting what it described as benefits of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, including the student loan scheme, establishment of federal universities, and road construction and reconstruction projects.

Nigeria sit second in Group L after a 2-1 win over Madagascar in their first 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture on Friday.

The Super Eagles fought back from an early goal to take maximum points.

But it was not enough for the three-time African champions to go top of the group.

This is due to Guinea-Bissau’s 2-0 win over Tanzania.

Franculino Djú opened the scoring for Guinea-Bissau in the 33rd minute before Mama Baldé added the second goal in the 58th minute to seal the away win.

Nigeria’s next game will be away to Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday, as they wrestle for early leadership in the group.