—APGA’s Soludo, Accord Party’s Adeleke, and PDP’s Wike given key campaign roles.
—Senate Leader Bamidele calls coalition historic win for democracy.
-Akpabio Says Nigeria is leading the continent in political consensus-building.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio says the broad membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council points to a unity government if President Bola Tinubu is re-elected.
Speaking in the Senate, Akpabio said the council’s inclusion of politicians from other parties was unprecedented since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.
“This is not just an inclusive government in terms of infrastructure, revenue allocation and reforms. It is also an inclusive government in terms of a unity of purpose in democracy,” he said.
Akpabio said the campaign council reflected the kind of administration Tinubu would lead in a second term, describing it as a coalition involving nearly all the country’s political parties.
He congratulated Tinubu, APC National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda and leaders of the parties represented on the council. Among those named were Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
Akpabio said their involvement showed that performance was not determined by party affiliation, but by the people in government.
“I can imagine how even a professor and former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Soludo, will add his ideas to the next administration so that Nigeria will be better. This is the way Nigeria should be,” he said.
Earlier, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele described the campaign council as a historic coalition, while moving a motion to adjourn the Senate until Thursday.
Bamidele said Soludo would serve as a state coordinator representing APGA, while Adeleke would represent the Accord Party. Wike, he said, would coordinate the campaign in the Federal Capital Territory on behalf of the PDP.
“In the best interests of Nigerians, a rainbow coalition is indeed on the move,” Bamidele said. “We look forward to a campaign that will celebrate ideas and strengthen our democracy.”
