It’s wrong to support candidates for contracts, appointments- Akpabio

Senator Godswill Akpabio has advised Nigerians against voting for candidates for appointments and contracts.

Akpabio, who is also a former governor of Akwa Ibom, said expectation of good governance should be the objective.

He gave this advice in an interview on Sunday.

“Nigerians should ensure that they elect good and committed leaders at all elections, and stop expecting patronage in terms of appointments or contracts,” he said.

“Good governance and delivery of critical infrastructure are the best reward system that any leadership can give the citizenry, and any leader that does these deserves mass support.”

Read also: I am Nigeria’s ‘watchman’- Obasanjo

Akpabio urged politicians to run decent campaigns and stop politicising tragedies as the elections approach.

He said Nigeria’s unity is more important than politics and urged that “Nigerian politicians should learn to run decent campaigns and try to shy away from issues that can generate violence or further polarise our country as we approach the elections.

“They should stop jubilation whenever we experience set back in the war against insurgency, it is a collective responsibility to ensure that Nigeria is safe and we should all show commitment to that cause.

“The reason why we are contesting for political leadership in the first place is because there is a country called Nigeria; if Nigeria stops to exist today, our politics will become useless.”

Akpabio advised politicians to see the advantage in the size and diversity of the country.

“The reason why we are respected across the world is because of our population and our diverse ethnic configuration,” he said.

“Politicians are supposed to use these factors to further engender peace and unity in the country, instead of creating hatred and enmity amongst their followers.”

The senator defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in August 2018.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now