•”I know road”—Tinubu assures
By Egena Sunday Ode and Jude Opara, Abuja
With about two years into his administration, President Bola Tinubu has been given a wildcard by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to be the sole aspirant of the party to contest the 2027 presidential election.
National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdulahi Ganduje while delivering his keynote address at the APC National Summit which held at the Presidential Villa yesterday said Tinubu has done so well to earn the trust of the leaders of the party from across the country to continue till 2031.
Ganduje who alongside members of the National Working Committee (NWC) filed out to do the endorsement said; “As the only body who has the power to field any candidate, I hereby affirm the various endorsements and declared President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the sole presidential candidate of APC”.
This is as an appreciative President Tinubu while thanking them for the endorsement assured them that he knows what to do to emerge victorious in the 2027 presidential election.
Tinubu also lauded the leadership of the party for its efforts in wooing some notable politicians from the opposition into the ruling APC, saying there is nothing wrong in somebody who is threatened to seek refuge in another place.
“I have listened to all that has been said here and the endorsements from different segments of our party, I am really grateful to you all. When the time comes, I know what to do, I know road”.
Ganduje also urged the stakeholders to return to their constituencies as Ambassadors of the Renewed Hope agenda and work for the victory of the ruling party.
“Let us return to our constituencies as Ambassadors of the Renewed Hope Agenda and Apostles of party renewal. I believe with unity, clarity of purpose, and hard work, the APC will not only deliver in 2027, it will deepen democracy, entrench equity, and expand the frontiers of development in Nigeria.
“However, to effectively support this national vision, our party itself must be reinvigorated. A strong party is the vehicle through which lasting governance is delivered. That is why we have been working on critical reforms to restructure and modernize the APC.
“As I stand before you, I must stress this truth: we cannot go into the future divided, unprepared, or reactive. The challenges of our nation require a cohesive, disciplined, and ideologically sound party. Our goal must not only be to win elections, but to lead with purpose, to earn the trust of Nigerians continuously, and to inspire belief in governance again”.
He also praised President Tinubu for the economic policies of his administration which he said have started yielding the desired dividends, despite the initial attendant hardships.
“Several short-term economic interventions have also been implemented to mitigate the initial hardships caused by bold reform, as Nigerians have begun to experience some immediate benefits.
“Funds freed up and savings have been redirected towards critical sectors like healthcare, education, infrastructure, and security, and increased allocation to states and local governments.
“The federal government also approved a new National Minimum Wage from N30,000 to N70,000 for civil servants, initiated Conditional Cash Transfer of N25,000 to 15 million vulnerable households for three months; distribution of palliatives to the vulnerable households across the nation, launching of Compressed Natural Gas Initiative to provide cheaper alternative to petrol. Over 100,000 vehicles have been converted to use CNG, with plans to convert one million vehicles in the next three years”.
Similarly, governors and national and state lawmakers of the party equally endorsed the President to be the only member of the APC that will vie to fly the party’s flag in the election.
The APC National Summit which was attended by all the strata of the party leadership from all the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was put in place by the party to give a score card of the achievements of the Tinubu administration in the first two years.
Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) Sen. Hope Uzodinma of Imo state began the gale of endorsements in his speech wherein he enumerated the achievements so far made by the Tinubu administration in just two years.
Uzodinma said judging from where the country was before the coming of President Tinubu, it has become evident that he has done so well by reinvigorating the governance structure in the country by taking hard and decisive decisions that has re-engendered trust in the system.
He noted that despite the pockets of security breaches in parts of the country, the government has succeeded in giving hope to the people by taking the battle back to the bandits and terrorists who have been trying to make life difficult for the people.
The PGF leader further charged all the 22 governors of the party to ensure that they take charge of their states and deliver them to the APC in the election.
Also in his speech, Senate President Godswill Akpabio who doubled in the endorsement said President Tinubu has demonstrated a sterling leadership skill worthy of emulation.
However, Akpabio warned that despite the fact that it appears that the election would be an easy ride for the APC, there is need for all hands to be on deck to avoid any upset.
“It’s not enough for us to come here and say we are endorsing the President, we must be ready to do the work. It is one thing to do the talk and another thing to do the work.
“In politics it’s not over until it’s over, politicians are like witches, they move in the night and in the daytime something happens”.
The National Summit was attended by party chieftain including members of the state governors, ministers, members of the national and state assemblies and other invited stakeholders.
