Senate President Godswill Akpabio says President Bola Tinubu should be the only presidential candidate in 2027 because he has “set Nigeria on the path of growth.”

At the All Progressives Congress summit in Abuja on Thursday, Mr Akpabio proposed that Nigerians, in general, should vote for Mr Tinubu for a second term in office.

“I want to move that not only would President Tinubu be the sole candidate for the presidency in 2027, but he would also be the sole candidate for the whole Nigerian population,” Mr Akpabio said.

The Senate president, who said the senators “have never had it this good”, also cited the crises in other political parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the reason Mr Tinubu should be re-elected in 2027.

Mr Akpabio added, “Because all other political parties have been turned into shreds. The PDP umbrella in my state has so many holes.”

According to the Senate president, Nigerians are “excited” about Mr Tinubu’s office performance.

“Nigerians are saying that because you have done a difficult job well, it’s time for us to reward you by sending you back to the presidency,” Mr Akpabio said.

Mr Akpabio’s statement comes two years before the presidential election, as opposition groups push for a coalition to challenge Mr Tinubu at the poll.

On Wednesday, former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, who dumped the APC for the Social Democratic Party in March, said coalition members already had a meeting on how to oust Mr Tinubu from office.