Special Adviser to the President on ICT and Digital Innovation, Tokoni Peter Igoin has begged former Labour Party’s governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Engr. Udengs Eradiri to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Igoin made the appeal when he visited Eradiri at his country home in Azikoro Village in Yenagoa on Wednesday, following his recent resignation from the Labour Party.
Eradiri who had earlier announced his withdrawal from LP, said he was seeking a political platform capable of enabling him to serve the people and advance Bayelsa’s development.
Highlighting the vision of the federal government in ICT, Igoin said President Bola Tinubu’s bold reforms were yielding positive results, assuring that it would gradually ease all the pains in the economy, adding that the President had shown capacity to turn the fortunes of the country around.
He stressed that Tinubu placed high premium on youth development and was fond of working with smart, intelligent people with capacity like Eradiri.
He appealed to the former governorship candidate to work with him to support President Tinubu who he said meant well for the country.
“I am not asking you to join the APC, I am rather begging you to join our party to support our dear President Bola Ahmed Tinubu because he has shown the capacity to turn around the country. Our President values and empowers youths and it will be a plus if you join me in APC to support him”, he said.
Igoin noted that Eradiri had demonstrated capacity in various offices he occupied in the past, adding that he made a difference as the Secretary-General and President of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), commissioners for Youth and later Environment, and Special Adviser to former Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
“I saw your withdrawal from the Labour Party. I hope we work together. I work with people. I am coming to pledge that I need people like you. I need you today, tomorrow and all the time. I have a platform where I need people like you. 2027 is coming and questions will be asked. I am begging you to come and join the APC”, he said.
In his response, Eradiri commended President Tinubu for appointing someone from Bayelsa State to hold such position in his government even when the ICT sector is dominated by the people from the Western part of the country.
He noted that Tinubu’s appointment of Igoin was a clear demonstration of his renowned leadership style of identifying, and working with talents without ethnic and religious bias.
He disclosed that he had been an admirer of Tinubu’s leadership qualities right from the NADECO days, adding that the President had continued to break the jinx of governance and surmount all the challenges with his bold reforms.
He, however, observed that if Tinubu were not surrounded by some selfish politicians, his reforms would have speedily trickled down to the grassroots.
“I thank the President for identifying you and appointing you without bias. The problem he has is that people around him don’t share same visions with him. Gradually we are beginning to see the positive impact of his reforms. We will do our best to give you the support.
“You have been given a very rare position. The West dominates the sector and for you to be given such appointment, it means you are doing well in the ICT. They have developed their own. Do your job and bring people with competence that can assist you”, he said.
He further advised governors in the Niger Delta to support presidential aides from the area without party considerations to enable them succeed and help others from the region.
While pledging to work with Igoin achieve the mandate of his office, Eradiri said he was still consulting on his next political platform, saying he would consider his request to join the APC.