Don’t judge me by my performance as minister – Akpabio

Godswill Akpabio, a Senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North West, aspiring for the presidency of the Red Chamber has urged Nigerians and members of the incoming 10th National Assembly not to assess him using his brief tenure as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs.

Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, said he preferred to be judged by his record as a lawyer of 36 years, commissioner for six years and a governor for eight years.

Speaking with journalists in an interview in Abuja on Saturday night, Akpabio who is one of the contenders for the office of the Senate President for the 10th National Assembly, scheduled for inauguration on June said he is an uncommon transformer.

Despite he is the preferred candidate of the President-elect and APC, a former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, and the Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, have vowed not to step down from the Senate Presidency race.

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“I do know that I have not changed in any way. I am somebody God has given the opportunity to be an uncommon transformer wherever I go. I will not like to be judged by ministerial appointment for Niger Delta, which everybody knows is a problematic place. But I would like to be judged by my record as a lawyer of 36 years, commissioner of six years and a governor of eight years,” Akpabio said.

It will be recalled that in July 2020, while in office as the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Akpabio appeared before the House of Representatives’ Committee on Niger Delta in a forensic audit hearing of the N81.5bn spent by the ministry between January and July 2020.

A mild drama, however, ensued during the probe, when, while speaking to the corruption allegations levelled against him, the former Akwa Ibom State governor was told to “off your mic” by a member of the committee, leading to the popular phrase, “Honourable Minister, off your mic.”

Akpabio has promised that if elected as senate president, he would sustain the January-December budget cycle initiated by the 9th National Assembly. He explained that the introduction of the January-December budget cycle is one the major success stories of the outgoing Assembly.

“On the issue of whether somebody is supportive or not, that is not the issue. The issue is that we must continue to engage. God has put us together for the next four years.

“We must continue to speak to people so that whatever perception they have which are really not correct about me will be totally debunked,” he said.