Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said President Bola Tinubu inherited an economy in crisis but has made significant progress through economic reforms and innovative policies.
Akpabio expressed confidence that the achievements of the Tinubu administration would give the All Progressives Congress (APC) enough to campaign on ahead of the 2027 general elections, predicting that the President would secure a second term.
The Senate President spoke on Wednesday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, when members of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), led by its Chairman, Senator Mohammed Dandutse, paid him a courtesy visit.
In a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, Akpabio said the administration had recorded progress despite inheriting difficult economic conditions.
“The current President has done a lot for Nigerians. He met an economy in shambles. When he came in, 27 states could not pay salaries and pensions, but today, the story has changed because of his reengineering and thinking out of the box,” he said.
Akpabio said the administration’s record in areas including the economy, agriculture, security, education and fiscal policy would feature prominently in the APC’s campaign for the 2027 elections.
He said Nigerians would ultimately assess the government based on its performance.
“In 2027, Nigerians will separate the shafts from the grains and re-elect President Tinubu for a second term in office,” he stated.
The Senate President also challenged opposition politicians seeking to unseat Tinubu to present their records in public office for comparison with those of the current administration.
“Someone who is challenging him cannot even tell us what he did when he was governor. I can tell you what I did when I was the governor of my state. We will tell them a lot,” he said.
According to Akpabio, opposition figures were aware of the administration’s achievements but were reluctant to acknowledge them because of political considerations.
“Those in the opposition know too well the achievements of this government in the area of the economy, agriculture, security, education and fiscal policy, but because they are in the opposition, they won’t say it,” he added.
Akpabio also defended the performance of the 10th National Assembly, saying the Senate had made significant contributions to national development under his leadership.
“The 10th Senate under my leadership has made giant strides and we are very proud of it. We will continue to collaborate with the Executive arm of government to achieve more for Nigerians,” he said.
Earlier, Dandutse said the committee’s visit was part of its constitutional responsibilities and an opportunity to pay a courtesy call on the Senate President.
He commended the 10th National Assembly for legislation that, according to him, had delivered tangible benefits to Nigerians, particularly in the education sector.
Dandutse stressed the importance of sustained investment in education, describing the sector as critical to Nigeria’s long-term development and national progress.
