Godswill Akpabio, the President of the Senate, on Monday declared that President Bola Tinubu had ‘done a lot for Nigerians,’ insisting that the achievements of the administration would give the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) enough to present to voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Akpabio said the Tinubu administration inherited an economy in crisis but had introduced reforms which, according to him, had significantly altered the country’s economic fortunes.
He spoke in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, while receiving members of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions, TETFund and NELFund, led by Dandutse Mohammed, its Chairman.
A statement issued by Jackson Udom, his Special Assistant on Media, quoted Akpabio as saying, ‘The current President has done a lot for Nigerians. He met an economy in shambles. When he came in, 27 states could not pay salaries and pensions but today, the story has changed because of his reengineering and thinking out of the box.’
The Senate President said the administration’s record would become a major selling point for the APC as the 2027 elections approach, declaring that the party would have sufficient achievements to campaign on.
‘In 2027 Nigerians will separate the shafts from the grains and re-elect President Tinubu for a second term in office,’ he said.
Akpabio said Tinubu’s approach to governance had brought innovation to the administration, adding that the government would take its achievements to the campaign grounds.
‘We have a President who thinks outside the box, bringing about innovation. We will have something to tell Nigerians about the unprecedented achievements of Mr President at the campaign grounds,’ he said.
He also challenged opposition politicians to present their own records to Nigerians, particularly those seeking to unseat Tinubu in 2027.
‘Someone who is challenging him cannot even tell us what he did when he was governor. I can tell you what I did when I was the governor of my state. We will tell them a lot,’ Akpabio said.
He added that opposition politicians were aware of the administration’s performance but were unwilling to acknowledge it because of their political positions.
‘Those in the opposition know too well, the achievements of this government in the area of the economy, agriculture, security, education and fiscal policy, but because they are in the opposition, they won’t say it,’ he said.
Akpabio also praised the performance of the 10th Senate, saying the chamber had recorded ‘giant strides’ under his leadership and would continue to work with the executive to deliver more for Nigerians.
‘The 10th Senate under my leadership, has made giant strides and we are very proud of it. We will continue to collaborate with the Executive arm of government to achieve more for Nigerians,’ he said.
The Senate President also dismissed criticism of the National Assembly on social media, urging lawmakers to remain focused on their constitutional duties.
‘Even in this period of our annual vacation, you are here in Uyo doing your job. We don’t need to listen to the social media because it is garbage in, garbage out,’ he said.
Akpabio further assured senators who may not return to the 11th National Assembly that their loyalty to the APC and the Tinubu administration would not go unrecognised.
He urged them to continue contributing to the progress of the party and the success of the administration.
Earlier, Mohammed said the committee’s visit was part of its constitutional responsibility and also an opportunity to pay homage to the Senate President.
‘We are here today for a very important constitutional responsibility and to pay homage to our leader. The Senate President of the Republic of Nigeria. Under your leadership, we have enacted the law that is benefiting the Nigerian masses,’ he said.
Mohammed cited NELFUND and TELFUND among initiatives he said were already benefiting Nigerian families.
‘Nigerian parents are happy because of NELFUND and TELFUND. We are in Akwa Ibom State on sensitization and oversight on all of the infrastructures executed by TETFUND,’ he said.
He described education as critical to Nigeria’s development, saying, ‘This law is fundamental to the success story of the development of Nigeria, because education is key to success.’