ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on Wednesday explained why he stood in for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the commissioning of major infrastructure projects executed by Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, citing the demands of the president’s office.
Akpabio spoke at the inauguration of the Opebi-Ojota Link Bridge and the e-GIS complex in Lagos, where Tinubu’s absence had drawn attention from political leaders and stakeholders.
Responding to remarks by the Chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), Tajudeen Olusi, who expressed a desire to see the President physically present, Akpabio said the nature of the office makes it impossible for Tinubu to attend every engagement.
“You said you would have loved to see your son President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and yet, you also said it was predicted that one day he would be president of Nigeria,” Akpabio said.
“So, if you knew that he was going to be president of Nigeria, it means you also consented that you were selling him to Nigeria and the global community. That means that sometimes when you want to see him, he might not be available because of the exigencies of his office,” he added.
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The Senate President further justified his role as the President’s representative, pointing to his long-standing ties to Lagos.
“You wonder why the Senate President came to represent the president in Lagos because the Senate President himself is a Lagosian. I live right behind Bourdillon and I’ve been there for the past 30 years. I worked at Ajose-Adeogun, I know Opebi, I know Allen,” he said.
Akpabio noted that his familiarity with the state positioned him to effectively convey the significance of the projects to Nigerians.
“When democratic dividends of this nature are brought forward who is in the best position to represent the president? It is the Senate President. The message is resonating around the country now,” he stated.
The commissioning ceremony attracted top political figures, including governors, federal lawmakers, and key Lagos stakeholders such as Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa; Senator Wasiu Eshinlokun; and Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
Tinubu’s absence comes amid heightened national responsibilities, with aides repeatedly emphasising that the President remains engaged in critical governance and security matters across the country.