*says ACN bloc of Akwa Ibom APC deserve Federal appointments
Pioneer State Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Akwa Ibom State; Obong Uko Umoh has described the emergence of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as one of the best things to happen in Nigeria in recent times.
Obong Umoh who is also a former State Vice Chairman of the now defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), during an interview with a reporter also said that with Sen. Godswill Akpabio’s victory as President of the 10th Senate, Nigeria should expect nothing but an uncommon performance. He averred that the duo of President Tinubu and Akpabio were perfect gifts to the country.
While describing President Tinubu as a thoroughbred politician, Umoh said “His Excellency, Asiwaju Tinubu is indeed a great leader. He won the 2023 Presidential election convincingly. He started nursing his ambition long time ago and he worked tirelessly towards that.
He discovered and made men. He empowered people consistently. And, those people he made in turn, came together to make him the President of Nigeria. That is how a leader should emerge”
Extolling the leadership qualities of the Senate President, Umo expressed his belief that Akpabio would lead the legislature for the betterment of Nigerians at large.
He said “I can’t expect anything less than an uncommon performance. Akpabio’s performance as governor of Akwa Ibom State is still fresh. His emergence as Senate President is a testament of his general acceptability by Nigerians.
As a matter of fact, I can say without any iota of equivocation that Their Excellencies, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President of Nigeria and Distinguished Sen Godswill Obot Akpabio as President of the Senate, are two good things that have happened to Nigeria in recent times. They are perfect gifts to Nigeria. And, it’s so unique that both of them are working together in the same dispensation with each controlling an arm in the same government.
Nigerians should watch out for better days. I see a positive collaboration of the Executive and the Legislature for overall development of Nigeria. So, Akpabio would bring to bear his leadership acumen that would help the already prepared President Tinubu to give the country the much expected dividends of democracy”
The Etinan-born Political Scientist also made case for those he called “ACN bloc” in Akwa Ibom APC, saying that they also deserved to be appointed by President Tinubu to serve in the APC government.
“And again, I think it would only be fairer if those from the aboriginal APC, I mean of the ACN stock in Akwa Ibom State are considered for various appointment this time around. Note that I am not against Mr. President appointing people from other legacy parties or some PDP members who later joined us.
It won’t also be out of place for me to state here that as one of the pioneer leaders of the Party in Uyo Senatorial District and indeed, Akwa Ibom State, I know that hundreds of thousand of our party men and women have not tasted any benefits, even as members of the ruling party at the Federal.
So, what I’m emphasising is that while we have witnessed Federal appointments for the PDP bloc from Akwa Ibom State in the past eight years, the ACN bloc should also be considered for purposes of equity, fairness and sense of belonging”, Umo opined.