Idara Jerome, Uyo
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has assured President Bola Tinubu of over two million votes from Akwa Ibom State in the 2027 general election, declaring that the state does not play political tricks but delivers on its promises.
Akpabio gave the assurance on Friday during Tinubu’s one-day working visit to Akwa Ibom, where he corrected the figure of PVC collections earlier announced by the Director-General of the campaign, insisting that more than two million registered voters in the state had collected their Permanent Voter Cards.
“Can I correct him? Can I correct him? Over two million have collected their PVCs. Over two million. So how many votes are we projecting for President Tinubu? Two million votes! Two million votes! And two million votes you will have,” Akpabio declared.
“We don’t play tricks in Akwa Ibom. We deliver as it should be delivered. My people are prepared to vote the President back to Aso Rock with over two million votes.”
The Senate President, who spoke before the President, his wife, the Vice President and other APC leaders, said the people of Akwa Ibom had reasons to appreciate Tinubu, particularly over the Federal Government’s interventions in education and other development projects.
He, however, used the occasion to make a fresh appeal for the President’s approval of the Ibom Deep Seaport, describing it as a major economic opportunity capable of creating employment for the people.
“My people are saying, let us have the deep seaport because it will give us employment opportunities,” he told the President.
Akpabio also acknowledged Tinubu’s role in the establishment of the Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi, the Federal University of Agriculture proposed for the Oruk Anam/Abak axis and the Police Academy, saying the state had a lot to appreciate the President for.
He said the people would reciprocate the Federal Government’s interventions with massive electoral support in 2027.
The Senate President also showcased the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, describing it as one of the transformational projects executed during his tenure as governor of Akwa Ibom State.
He recalled that the facility was conceived following demands by Akwa Ibom children who were tired of travelling to Lagos and other cities to watch international football matches.
“Akwa Ibom children were tired of going outside to Lagos and other places to watch international matches. And they told their governor, ‘This your uncommon transformation must touch the area of sports. We want a stadium.’ And they have a stadium,” he said.
Akpabio added that the stadium had become a major venue for international football matches in West Africa, disclosing that it would host another international match on November 11.
He further revealed that the facility had 14 banquet halls and seven underground banquet halls capable of accommodating up to 10,000 people.
The Senate President disclosed that over 71 senators attended the presidential visit, alongside other principal officers of the National Assembly, including the Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Earlier, Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, speaking on behalf of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, the Progressive Governors’ Forum and the South-South Governors’ Forum, reaffirmed the governors’ endorsement of Tinubu for a second term.
Diri said the six governors of the South-South were now members of the APC, describing the development as a significant political realignment in the region.
He also commended Tinubu’s Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project, describing it as a major intervention for the South-South.
“The coastal road is a masterstroke. No president, living or dead, has remembered the coastal road for the people of the South-South zone. The President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is the first to do so,” Diri said.
He added that the governors had endorsed Tinubu in their respective states and reiterated their support for his second-term ambition.
“Mr President, on behalf of the governors of the South-South zone, we say carry go!” he declared.
