What Julius Abure told Akpabio during his visit to Labour Party to solicit support for Tinubu, senate president bid

Godswill Akpabio, a former minister of Niger Delta affairs paid a visit to the Labour Party on Thursday, May 18 to solicit support for his senate president bid in the 10th senate.

During his visit, Akpabio appealed to the Labour Party national chairman, Julius Abure to entreat his senators-elect to support his bid as the next senate president in the Bola Tinubu’s administration.

He also called for unity in the country following the end of the election and the need for all contestants in the 2023 presidential polls to rally and support President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.

Responding to Akpabio’s call to support his senate president bid, Abure said he believe Akpabio’s track record as a Governor are exceptional and confidence of his quality leadership.

"I’ve followed the track record of Senator Akpabio not in the Senate but when he was Governor of Akwa Ibom state, his records are unparalleled, his achievements are there and most of the people he touched their lives are my friends and so I have no doubt in his capacity to provide quality leadership,” Julius Abure said.

However, he noted that no directives have been given to the party senators neither are they dictating to them where to go.

“I want to say very clearly that in most of our engagement with our senators, we haven’t given them any directives. We don’t want to be dictating to them on where they should go.

“Two of my senators are here. Ireti Kingibe isn’t here but we shall whisper to her. We need a vibrant legislature to promote our democracy, we hope yours will be a departure from what we have,” Abure said.

The Chairman also replied on his call to support Tinubu’s administration, saying that they are currently in court to contest the process of the 2023 election but supporting Tinubu is a no for the party.

“We are in court in respect to the presidential election and you know we are challenging the processes leading to that election, In all our campaign, we didn’t make pretenses about it.

“We said it clearly that we believe in the process leading to the election rather than the outcome of the election. And therefore, for us in Labour Party, you are aware that we are not comfortable with the processes leading to the election and I want to say it clearly that this is not the forum for us to engage on that but because you have made such remark it will be unfair for me not to put the record straight and that is why I want to say it clearly, the 2023 presidential election is what we are challenging, we are currently in court challenging the processes and not the outcome itself.

“I wanted to put that on record before it would be carried that Labour Party are supporting Tinubu, no, no, no, for us it is a no-go area for us.”