President Bola Tinubu has called on the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas to justify the confidence reposed in them by their colleagues.
Tinubu in a statement he personally signed on Tuesday described their election as a good development.
Akpabio scored 63 votes to defeat a former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, who scored 46 votes to emerge as the Senate President; while Abbas polled 353 votes to defeat former Deputy Speaker, Hon. Idris Wase and Hon. Aminu Jaji who scored three votes each.
The president said, “The election of Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, CON and Rt. Honourable Tajudeen Abbas as the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 10th National Assembly is a good development.”
He also congratulated the Deputy Senate President, Jibril Barau and House of Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu for their well-deserved victories.
Tinubu added, “Being elected by their peers as presiding officers and assuming the leadership of the National Assembly is a great honour that comes with huge responsibility. I trust that you will justify the confidence reposed in you by your members and many Nigerians.”
While commending Yari, Wase and Jaji for enriching the process with their participation in the leadership election, he urged them to sustain the same level of enthusiasm they brought to the leadership contest in the discharge of their duties to their constituents and Nigeria.
He added that they have all been called upon and accepted the responsibility to diligently and faithfully serve the nation with the oath they took.
Tinubu said it was time to get on and move swiftly with the business of governance in the service of Nigeria.
He noted: “As your President, I am prepared to transparently work with the National Assembly. Nigerians expect distinguished Senators and Honourable members to make laws and carry out oversight duties that will enhance the performance of government to achieve successful outcomes including improving their quality of life.
“In the course of our work together, disagreements may occur. When we disagree it will not be out of malice, ill-will and quest to diminish the institution of the National Assembly or any individual member.
Our people across the length and breadth of our country expect so much from us. They want us to lift their economic burden. They want us to eliminate insecurity so our farmers in rural communities can go to their farms and produce the food we eat.
“Our people look up to us to change the fortune of our country for good and remove all barriers that impede progress. All of these we can make happen with dedication and commitment. We can only achieve all the good things we promised during our campaigns when we work together in harmony but with respect for our respective prerogatives and in the best interest of our country.”