President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio and Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, on Wednesday, said President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 Presidential Campaign Council reflects national unity and inclusiveness.
The Senate leadership spoke after the Red Chamber adjourned plenary early to allow serving senators who are members of the council to attend its inauguration at the Presidential Villa.
Moving the motion for adjournment at about 12:50pm ahead of the 2:00pm inauguration, Senator Bamidele described the composition of the campaign council as historic.
According to him, the council is a rainbow coalition that brings together leaders across party lines, including the Executive Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, as coordinator, the Executive Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke of Accord Party as coordinator, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as coordinator for the FCT and Rivers State, and Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, representing Gombe North, as coordinator.
“My point, Mr. President, is that in this country, in the best interest of the Nigerian people, a rainbow coalition indeed is on the move and very much on course.
“I think it is something that should not go unnoticed. We will proceed out of this chamber as members of the ruling party, accompanied by our colleagues, to go to the presidential campaign council.
“We look forward to a campaign that will really celebrate ideas and celebrate our democracy. I really congratulate you Mr. President,” Bamidele said.
In his response, the President of the Senate, Akpabio said the formation of an all-inclusive campaign council had never happened in the nation’s democracy since 1999.
He said the development shows that President Tinubu is running an inclusive government that goes beyond infrastructure and reforms to promote unity of purpose.
“Let me also note, like you said, that this is historic and this is uncommon. This has never happened in the history of our democracy since 1999, that a sitting president will constitute his presidential campaign council with almost all the parties in Nigeria inclusive.
“So, this is not just an inclusive government in terms of infrastructure, it’s not just an inclusive government in terms of revenue allocation and allotments, it’s not just an inclusive government in terms of giant strides in reform, it’s also an inclusive government in terms of unity, unity of purpose in democracy.
“The coalition is evident of the fact that President Tinubu’s second term is going to be a unity government just like his campaign council is a unity campaign council made of almost all the political parties in the country.
“This is the way Nigeria should be. I’m not going to predict the outcome of the election, but I know that even Senator Abdul Ningi knows the outcome of the election,” Akpabio stated.
