Former Akwa Ibom State governor Godswill Akpabio has implored Nigerians not to condemn him based on his record as a member of President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet.
Akpabio was the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs until he quit last year (2022) to run for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket. This was stated by Akpabio in a chat with the media this weekend in Abuja.
“I do know that I have not changed in any way. I am somebody God has given the opportunity to be an uncommon transformer wherever I go.
“I will not like to be judged by ministerial appointment for Niger Delta, which everybody knows is a problematic place,” Akpabio was quoted to have said in the interview.
“But I would like to be judged by my record as a lawyer of 36 years, Commissioner of six years and a governor of eight years.”
He told Nigerians that if elected Senate President, he will continue the January-December budget cycle established by the Ninth National Assembly.
According to him, the implementation of the January-December budget cycle was one of the Assembly’s significant accomplishments.
“If given the opportunity by my colleagues to lead the 10th Assembly, one of the programmes I will like to sustain would be the January to December budget cycle,” Akpabio said.
“The Introduction of that is what I commend the 9th National Assembly for very seriously because it allows for proper planning and allows the government to take off on a good note and also help bring about foreign direct investment into the country.
“So I think that will be sustained by the 10th Senate and that is whether I am Senate President or not. I believe working with my colleagues, we shall sustain it, because it is a collective idea. Everybody is important.”
BizWatch Nigeria reports that Akpabio was initially elected to the Nigerian Senate in 2015, where he served as Minority Leader on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform until defecting to the ruling party.
