Imo state governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has said Nigerians currently showing dissafection towards the present administration occasioned by hardship thrown up by its economic policies would soon have a rethink and change their narratives.
The governor made the declaration on Monday when he visited the national chairman of the party, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje at the party national secretariat in Abuja.
Accompanied by Bassey Otu, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and Abiodun Oyebanji, governors of Cross Rivers, Ondo and Ekiti states, respectively, Governor Uzodinnma claimed the crippling economic hardship being experienced by Nigerians is a global phenomenon. He maintained that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration is doing everything to mitigate the situation and expressed the hope that very soon Nigerians would be jubilant.
He said: “What is happening currently is a global economic problem. We in Nigeria under our own leadership, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is also bringing out policies to ensure, given the kind of economy he met, given the kind of situation he saw when he came, he has started well and by the grace of God, I am very confident that very soon, Nigerians will be jubilant about how he has managed to navigate the waters.”
Ahead of the forthcoming Edo and Ondo State off-season governorship elections scheduled for September and November, respectively, the Imo state governor expressed the hope that the APC would reclaim Edo and would still retain Ondo state.
“Of course, you know, I am the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and when I speak, I speak on behalf of my colleagues, 20 governors; a party like APC that is in control of 20 states out of 36 and also has produced a president and members of the Federal Executive Council is the majority party and if election is the game of numbers, it means the majority will win.
“So, when we get to Edo because we are majority party for instance, on July 20 of this month, the national campaign council will be inaugurated in Edo State and it is expected that most of us, the members of the Progressive Governors Forum will be in attendance. Which other party can provide or boast of such asset, politically speaking? So, we don’t need to overflog the horse, the truth of the matter is that the APC has done very well in Nigeria.”
Ganduje, who had a closed-door meeting before the session with newsmen, said he would continue to sustain a warm relationship with the governors.
He said: “There is no doubt, we are highly elated, we anticipated today when I got the information that they are coming. So, I think it is a blessing, a big blessing to us. So, we are so happy about it and we have confidence in them. We will do all it takes to ensure that we maintain good relationships with our governors all over the country and we will help to protect their interests and there is no doubt that they’re also assisting the party, they are making the party to be proud as an institution.”