The All Progressives Congress, APC, governors, for the umpteenth time, passed a vote of confidence on President Bola Tinubu, citing his economic reforms that brought Nigeria out of coma.

The progressive governors declared the ruling party as “a beautiful bride” ahead of future elections.

They spoke through their Chairman and governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma, at the 15th National Executive Council, NEC, meeting, at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.

The APC governors alleged that Nigeria was “in a state of coma” when Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, with empty national coffers, an unsustainable petrol-subsidy regime and a foreign-exchange crisis driven by arbitrage.

Uzodimma stated that Tinubu “took the bull by the horn” by removing subsidy and tackling currency racketeering, insisting that the reforms were necessary to halt economic collapse.

He accused opposition politicians of hypocrisy, claiming they campaigned on similar reforms but are now “weaponizing” economic pain for political gain.

According to him, the President has refused to be distracted and has also adopted a “fire-for-fire” approach to insecurity, citing the swift rescue of kidnap victims in Kebbi, Kwara and Niger States.

Uzodimma further claimed that inflation had dropped sharply and petrol prices had stabilised, adding that increased federal revenue was now reaching states and local governments.

He commended Tinubu for “true fiscal federalism” and transparent oil-sector revenue, asserting that crude-oil theft and illegal mining were being curtailed.

Genocide?

Responding to claims of religious persecution, Uzodimma said detractors had resorted to what he called “imported lies,” including an alleged fabrication of “a Christian genocide” narrative, which he said was dangerous and had even been dismissed by global religious authorities.

He warned that no one would be allowed to deploy ethnicity or religion to divide the country.

The governor argued that reforms are now “visible with our own eyes in the market,” claiming food prices are falling and the naira is strengthening, while the gap between official and black-market exchange rates has been eliminated.

He also praised Tinubu’s directive to recruit thousands of additional security personnel and overhaul the security command structure.

Declaring that APC controls 28 of 36 states, Uzodimma described the ruling party as “a beautiful bride,” saying governors are ready “to marry more wives” by expanding the party’s political reach.

He thereafter moved a formal vote of confidence in Tinubu, urging him to “keep his foot on the gas” and ignore “those who want us to return to the era of free money and fake exchange rates.”

He invited the Kaduna State governor to second the motion on behalf of the Progressive Governors’ Forum.

Uzodimma pledged unflinching support for Tinubu’s security initiatives and vowed that governors would help identify those allegedly “hiding under politics at sub-national levels to fan the embers of insecurity.”

He said the President must continue to defend democracy against “sore losers” seeking to truncate it.

The governor closed by urging APC officials to take the message of economic recovery “to the last man on the street,” insisting that the Renewed Hope agenda must be amplified at the grassroots. (Vanguard)

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