Senate President Godswill Akpabio has revealed that Nigeria was in a state of near-collapse when President Bola Tinubu assumed office.
Speaking at a constituency briefing for the North-West region during the yuletide celebrations at the Ikot Ekpene local government area of Akwa Ibom State, Akpabio shared that Tinubu entered the presidency with significant regrets due to the country’s precarious condition at the time.
Akpabio emphasized that President Tinubu’s concerns were rooted in the fact that Nigeria was “on life support” when he took office, a situation he attributed to years of mismanagement by corrupt state actors, particularly former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor Godwin Emefiele.
He noted that Emefiele’s actions had left a “deep hole” in the nation’s treasury, exacerbating the country’s financial crisis.
The Senate President recalled that President Tinubu, whom he referred to as calling him “small President,” had confided in him about the challenges ahead and the possible solutions to address the economic crisis. Despite the dire situation, Akpabio expressed optimism, stating that the economic reforms implemented by the president were already beginning to show signs of success and would eventually steer the country out of its difficulties.
Akpabio acknowledged that while the road to recovery might be painful, it was a matter of time before Nigeria would emerge stronger, describing the potential future as an “El-Dorado.” He also noted that efforts were underway to foster peace and unity across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, which would be essential for sustainable development.
Akpabio highlighted the creation of development commissions across the six zones, a decision by the president aimed at ensuring inclusive development nationwide. He pointed to the South East region, which faces significant ecological challenges, particularly in road infrastructure, as one of the key areas where development commissions would be beneficial. This led to the establishment of the South East Development Commission, as well as similar initiatives for other regions.
In his address, Akpabio appealed to the people of the South East, encouraging them to reconsider their voting patterns in future elections. He reminded them that while they did not support the ruling APC in the last presidential election, the current administration had plans in place to address their needs. He further emphasized that the support from his own district, Ikot Ekpene, which has just 10 local government areas, had garnered more votes for President Tinubu than the entire South East region combined.
In the spirit of the season, Akpabio and other political leaders distributed items across party lines, including rice, cars, buses, motorcycles, tricycles, grinding machines, sewing machines, and vocational training materials.
“Emefiele messed up the economy,” he stressed, adding that “recovery maybe painful, but it’s just a function of time for Nigeria to return to an El – Dorado.”
” The votes from my Senatorial District (Ikot Ekpene of just 10 LGAs) for Mr. President alone were more than the whole votes from the entire South East of five states put together,” he reminded some of the South East national lawmakers and stakeholders, who accompanied him to the ceremony.
