President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Obot Akpabio, has assured President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, that Akwa Ibom State will deliver the highest number of votes for the President in the South-South geopolitical zone during the 2027 general elections.

The number three citizen gave the firm assurance on Sunday at a special dedication service organised by the Akwa Ibom State chapter of the APC to commit its 2027 electioneering campaigns into the hands of God, held at the International Christian Worship Centre, Uyo.

The well-attended church service, which had as its theme, “We Are Well Able,” brought together APC leaders, stakeholders, political office holders, party faithful and supporters from across the 31 local government areas of the state, all united in prayers for the success of the party in the forthcoming general elections.

Speaking at the event, Senator Akpabio said Akwa Ibom State owes President Tinubu a debt of gratitude and has every justifiable reason to reciprocate the President’s magnanimity and goodwill towards the state with overwhelming electoral support at the polls in 2027.

He recalled with appreciation how President Tinubu stood solidly behind him and supported an Akwa Ibom son to emerge as President of the Senate, the number three citizen in the country’s leadership hierarchy, describing the feat as historic, unprecedented and a great honour to the entire state.

According to the Senate President, it was the strategic support and endorsement of President Tinubu and the national leadership of the APC that made his emergence as Senate President possible, a development that has not only elevated Akwa Ibom State in national politics but has also brought immense pride and recognition to the people of the state.

Akpabio therefore argued that the best way to show appreciation for such uncommon favour is for the people of Akwa Ibom State to come out en masse and vote massively for President Tinubu and all candidates of the APC in the 2027 general election, to ensure continuity and consolidation of the benefits the state currently enjoys.

He urged members of the APC in the state and all Akwa Ibom indigenes who believe in the progress and development of the state to close ranks, bury their personal and political differences, forgive past grievances and present a united, formidable and indivisible front ahead of the elections.

The Senate President emphasised that only through unity, cohesion and collective resolve can the party achieve its target of delivering the highest number of votes for President Tinubu in the entire South-South region, which comprises Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Edo States.

Delivering his keynote address titled “One Family, One Destiny, One Akwa Ibom Under God,” Senator Akpabio passionately appealed for genuine reconciliation and all-inclusive unity within the Akwa Ibom APC, insisting that the era of discrimination between old and new members must end.

He maintained that the APC in Akwa Ibom State is one big family where every member, regardless of when he or she joined the party, should have a sense of belonging, equal opportunity and a place at the table, without fear of exclusion, intimidation or victimisation.

The former Governor of Akwa Ibom State explained that the party is big, broad and accommodating enough to accommodate all interests, ambitions and aspirations, stressing that no member should feel threatened by another person’s political ambition or feel superior because he joined the party earlier than others.

According to him, what should be paramount and of utmost importance to every APC member in the state is the overall success, growth and victory of the party at all levels, and the collective progress, peace and prosperity of Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria as a whole.

Akpabio further admonished politicians in the state to ensure that their Christian faith and professed belief in God are clearly reflected in their political conduct, character and utterances, noting that politics should not be seen as a do-or-die affair but as a call to service.

He urged political actors to eschew politics of bitterness, rancour, hatred and character assassination, stressing that electioneering campaigns should be conducted with decorum, respect for human dignity and strict adherence to issue-based discourse that will promote peace and development.

The Senate President cautioned that personal ambitions, ego and selfish interests should never be allowed to override the collective interest, welfare and well-being of the people, adding that true leadership is about selfless service, sacrifice and commitment to the common good of all.

He also used the occasion to call for sustained national unity, peace and patriotism, noting that the progress, development and prosperity of Akwa Ibom State cannot be isolated or separated from the overall growth, stability and development of Nigeria as a federation.

According to him, Akwa Ibom State will develop faster, better and more sustainably when there is peace, unity, stability and progress at the national level, hence every Akwa Ibom son and daughter should be committed to the unity and greatness of Nigeria.

Earlier in his remarks at the service, the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, expressed deep and profound gratitude to the people of the state for their overwhelming support, prayers and goodwill during the last election that brought him to office as Governor.

Governor Eno, who recently joined the APC, appealed to Akwa Ibom people to double their support and give even more massive, resounding and unprecedented backing to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, himself and all other candidates of the APC in the forthcoming 2027 general elections.

He said the tremendous support and cooperation being enjoyed by his administration from the Federal Government under President Tinubu and from the leadership of the National Assembly under Senator Akpabio have been largely responsible for the modest achievements and successes recorded by his government in the last two years.

The Governor assured the people that if given another mandate in 2027, he will continue to serve them with humility, sincerity, integrity and the fear of God, in line with the ARISE Agenda of his administration which is anchored on compassion, rural development and inclusive governance for all Akwa Ibomites.

The church service, which was filled to capacity, featured soul-lifting worship, fervent prayers for President Tinubu, the Senate President, Governor Umo Eno and the APC, as well as special intercessory prayers for peace in Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria, and for the success of the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Prayers were also offered for a hitch-free, peaceful and victorious electioneering campaign for the APC in Akwa Ibom State, for unity, love and understanding among party members, and for continued progress, prosperity and development of the state under the present administration.

In his sermon, the officiating minister charged politicians and all those seeking elective positions to always put God first in all their dealings, to seek divine wisdom and guidance in their political activities and to dedicate their campaigns and aspirations to God who is the author and finisher of all things and the ultimate giver of power.