Akpabio Backs Rainbow Coalition, Says Tinubu’ll Run Unity Govt In 2nd Term

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said the composition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council shows that President Bola Tinubu will run a unity government if re-elected in 2027.

Akpabio made the statement on Wednesday during plenary while reacting to comments by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele on the inauguration of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, which includes members of opposition parties.

The Senate had adjourned proceedings early to enable senators serving on the campaign council to attend the inauguration scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Moving the motion for adjournment at about 12:50 p.m., Bamidele described the composition of the council as a historic political development.

“Mr. President, let me also congratulate you and members of the ruling APC, APGA, PDP, and Accord Party in this chamber because, as we leave this chamber, something historic is about to happen,” Bamidele said.

“At 2 p.m. today, the Presidential Campaign Council will be inaugurated. The council includes Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, representing APGA, as a state coordinator, and Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, representing the Accord Party, as a state coordinator.

“We also have Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, representing the PDP, who will be inaugurated as the campaign coordinator for the FCT.

“My point, Mr. President, is that, in the best interests of Nigerians, a rainbow coalition is indeed on the move. We will leave this chamber as members of different political parties and proceed to the Presidential Campaign Council. We look forward to a campaign that will celebrate ideas and strengthen our democracy,” he said.
Among those listed as coordinators were Governor Charles Soludo, Governor Ademola Adeleke, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who was named coordinator for the FCT and Rivers State, and Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe North.

Reacting, Akpabio described the development as historic, saying that since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999, a sitting president has never constituted a campaign council involving other political parties.

“This is not just an inclusive government in terms of infrastructure, revenue allocation and reforms. It is also an inclusive government in terms of unity of purpose in democracy,” Akpabio said.

“What we are going to witness is evidence that his second term is going to be a unity government, just like his campaign council is a unity campaign council made up of almost all the political parties in the country,” he stated.

He added that Nigeria was setting an example for Africa and congratulated President Tinubu, the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, and leaders of the participating political parties.

Akpabio also congratulated the governors and political leaders who joined the campaign council.

“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, adding that performance was not necessarily determined by political party affiliation but by individuals.

Akpabio further said: “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.”

Although he said he would not predict the outcome of the 2027 presidential election, he added: “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.”