All protocols observed.
I sincerely thank the organizers of this event for the kind invitation extended to me, to speak on this all-important subject, themed: “The Appropriateness of Electing Nigeria’s 10th Senate President.”
Thank you, once again.
I want to say (that), it is not a matter for debate. Every Nigerian who met the constitutional requirements of being a member of our National Assembly particularly, a person, elected in the Upper Chamber; is unquestionably, qualified to aspire to occupy the position of the Senate President.
Be that as it may, I must say, without fear of contradiction, that there ara a number of Senators who are eminently qualified to aspire to that very position of the 10th Senate President.
Yes.
At the moment, I do not know all the personalities that are interested in aspiring to occupy the position. I do not know their pedigree, their numbers, and where they come from.
Our country is a very unique combination.
You don’t need to belabour yourself in looking for a competent Nigerian to be elected into the position of the number three citizen of our country; in this moment of history.
They are many in Nigeria. How do we pick one person in the array of the multitude?
You can get them from every part of the North and the South of our dear country.
But we need unity by representation.
We have a President from the South-West; Vice president from the North-East; the chairman of the ruling party from the North-Central; Speaker North-West; Deputy-Speaker, South-East.
It can only be fair the Senate President to emerge from the South-South.
Even though the other three key positions are all muslem; I make bold to say that it will be fair and just; for the unity of our great country for a Christian to emerge as the Senate President.
Mind you! I am not a religious bigot.
This is the reason I have difficulties in this task to speak to this gathering.
However, as I face all of you today, my task has become easy! We know the personality…
Senator Godswill Akpabio: two-time Governor of Akwa Ibom state; former Minister; a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He is a bridge-buikder.
Is he not popular?
There is no gainsaying the fact that Senator Akpabio has proved his onions in all the positions of leadership he has occupied. Both elective and appointment.
He has shown traits of being a symbol of National Unity.
As an elder statesman , my job is to monitor people and events—–give my candid advise, or opinion; on how best to drive the vehicle of our great nation to the best destination.
Senator Akpabio is from the South-South. Though I may not guess his age and antecedents of growing up, but my several encounter and interactions with him convinced me that he came from a humble background.
He has been favoured by the leadership of his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC).
He has also been favoured by our dear President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In political calculations across the globe, it is always a norm that the ruling party shops for persons of strong character within the Executive and Legislature who can work with one mind and spirit in delivering its manifesto.
I speak out of experience , as a one-time Adviser to the President, on National Assembly Matters. That was in the Second Republic.
Going forward, I seize this opportunity to appeal to other contestants to reason with the decision of their party leadership.
They should do so to avoid hitting up the polity.
They should show respect and display loyalty to their party so that their manifesto will sail even higher; and Nigerians will enjoy the dividends of democracy.
I make bold to say that I am like a father to Senator Akpabio, just like to many of us here. I need not to border you with the positions I have held in rendering services to our dear country.
But I have to give you a little background of my humble self. I was born in Kano City in the year 1925, about 98 years now.
I am the only one surviving out of the three children of my father. I am the only male child. The last born!
The other two who are my elder sisters, unfortunately, died many years ago. One left a baby boy to the family, while the other left a baby boy.
But God is great! He decided to compensate my family by giving me a total of 23 children; all to myself. Out of the 23 children , the Almighty God gave to me, I lost four.
Today, a total of 19 of my children are alive. They are made up of 12 male and seven female.
Eighteen of the 19 children have children of their own, totaling 50 grand children to me; as a single individual.
But one of my children is still praying for a favour of the Almighty to have a child of his own.
I am confident that God the Almighty will listen to our prayers.
He shall favour our family. My child will also have a child of his own.
We are not choosy. We will be ever grateful if it pleases God to give us a boy and or a girl.
The entire family will eternally be grateful as ever to Almighty God for His mercy.
God bless Nigeria.
Thank you.
Being an address delivered during a meeting of APC Non-serving Senators held at Sharaton Hotel Conference Centre, Abuja.
Thursday, June 1, 2023.
