Group drumming support for the Minister, Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to throw his hat into the presidential ring in 2023, has been Inaugurated in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.
The group, Godswill Akpabio Uncommon Transformation Solidarity Organization, (GAUTSO) is made up of professionals with membership drawn across Nigeria.
The forum, in a statement by Chief Bernett Akar, at the end of the inauguration, said,” this is a clarion call on the former governor of Akwa-Ibom State and incumbent Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio to throw his hat into the ring and contest for the President of Nigeria come 2023″.
The ceremony saw members from different parts of the country, spoke glowingly of the qualities, vision, competence and capacity of the former Senate Minority Leader.
The group reminded the legal practitioner cum politicians that as student leader at the University of Calabar and former governor, he left indelible footprints in the institution, with the building project he donated to the Faculty of Engineering, University of Calabar.
The group was unequivocal in their demand that, “Senator Akpabio should contest for the office of the President of Nigeria in 2023 and we vow to deliver 100 percent bloc votes of the entire South-South geo-political zone for him”.
Speakers after speakers eulogized the sterling qualities of Akpabio, describing him the ‘King of infrastructure’, ‘the Educationist’, ‘the great Economist’, ‘A fighter for the youths’ and ‘the most detribalized Nigerian to replace President Buhari.”
According to Helen Bassey-Osijo, ” the people of South-South geo-political zone are awed by the developmental stride and the transformational leadership of Akpabio while in office as Governor.
” Notably were his infrastructural developments, the uplift of educational system and the youth development programmes of the Akpabio administration in Akwa Ibom State. I hereby join my voice in the clarion calls that Akpabio contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he she declared
She further disclosed that the women in the South-South are earnestly asking for Akpabio.
Pastor Patrick Archibong in his remarks stated, “Akpabio is fit to govern Nigeria, given his natural endowments of youthfulness, capacity, forthrightness, fearlessness, can-do-it spirit, love for the masses, track record of excellence in governance and foresight. Akpabio, is therefore, the visionary Nigeria needs now.”
