INTERVIEW: We don’t want 10th NASS to derail national development – Hope Uzodinma

Chairman of Progressives Governors’ Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma in interview with journalists said the APC governors are solidly behind position party’s position on the leadership of the 10th National Assembly because of the need to ensure the President Bola Tinubu is not distracted

Excerpts:

After the event in which you all witnessed, we had a closed session with President because what is at stake is national interest, the interest of our country and how to ensure that the new president is supporter to succeed.

All over Africa, Nigeria is being looked upon that this time around we should produce a very strong president who will be bold and courageous in character. Who will be able to deliver Nigeria to our usual space of bein the leader of the continent.

So, we don’t want to allow for any domestic distraction to distract him from succeeding.

So, we are going to pledge our support, work in synergy with our senators elect to ensure that the election of tomorrow will be free and fair.

You must have heard, the president in his wisdom organised a small technical committee to help coordinate the process of tomorrow’s election, which by my position of the chair of the Progressive Governors Forum, I am chairing that technical committee.

We have done so much work to the extent that God has blessed our efforts that majority of the senators-elect are now in sync with the position of the party.

Do we expect that it’s going to be a walkover for Senator Akpabio since you said all lawmakers are in sync?

Well, substantially for a substitute consensus and by the number of people and by the efforts we have put in place, it is our hope that tomorrow it might even be a consensus event. But to the glory of God we pray for that and at the same time, hoping that should we go into an election, Akpabio’s acceptance as at today cuts across the political party we belong, other political parties there are also some same minds who are interested in the development and progress of Nigeria. Who also understands the need to safeguard democracy as being practiced in Nigeria today. And they are in sync with our preferred candidate.

Akpabio is going there to create a win-win situation for members of the parliament. He he is not going there to be a dictator. He is going there to work with his colleagues. He is going there to work in synergy, collectively they will reason, collectively they will plan, collectively they will deliver the dividends of democracy to the Nigerian people.

It is about Nigeria and not about the individuals. And he is a man too that has the track record of performance.

Recall his performance as the Governor of Akwa Ibom State and when he came during the 8th Senate. Even as a first time senator, he emerged as the minority leader of the senate. That is a show of confidence by his colleagues. And I think that he will do that which he knows how to do better this time around.