Linus Aleke in Abuja
A Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and Enugu North Senatorial Candidate in the 2023 General Election, Ambassador Simon Ejike Eze, has said that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock in 2027.
He stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has done exceedingly well, adding that he deserves a second term to consolidate his achievements and developmental stride for the country.
Eze, who spoke during a chat with our Correspondent, stated, “My candid opinion is that the presidential election will come, but for us in the All Progressive Congress (APC), and, of course, our performing President, there is no vacancy in Aso Rock in 2027. He is the only candidate we have for now, and I’m sure the party, the APC, will still nominate him for the 2027 Presidential election. I believe that he has done so much for the country that most Nigerians, if not all, will vote for him for a second term because he has done well. He has done credibly well in just a little more than two years in his first term.”
Asked why he feels the President deserves a second term despite visible increases in hunger, poverty, and a spike in insecurity, the retired diplomat said the current hardship was a result of one or two things that the President had inherited in terms of the economy, insecurity, and reforms.
He averred that the removal of the fuel subsidy was necessary to save the country from the fraud that had characterised the scheme.
“Recall also that the ex-President Buhari did not even make provision for the subsidy beyond May 2023. So in June, it had already gone, even without his pronouncing it. So the bold statement he made on the day he was sworn in, that the fuel subsidy is gone, was a courageous one and, of course, a good omen for the country. Today, you can see the impact of that removal of the fuel subsidy everywhere you go. Again, there are a lot of programmes now aimed at restructuring the country. We need fiscal federalism to develop and become as great as we all desire. What people don’t know about development in a country is that it doesn’t come without pain, just like childbirth; it will be painful, but after that comes the joy. Even plants you put on the ground will die first before they produce new fruits. That was why Jesus said that until a grain dies, it remains a single grain, but when it dies, it yields a rich harvest.
“The process of death brings pain, but again, it is a gateway to abundance, prosperity, stability, development, and happiness. The President is not unaware of this. All Nigerians acknowledge the fact that things are difficult.”
He, however, noted that the government was on top of the situation, making every effort to see that the situation was improved.
