Dennis Udoma, Uyo
Akwa Ibom lawmaker in the National Assembly, Hon. Onofiok Luke has said his aspiration to succeed Governor Udom Emmanuel is still on course.
He said this in Uyo last Sunday in reaction to Governor Emanuel’s adoption of Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources, Pastor Umo Eno as his successor.
Governor Emmanuel’s action has unsettled many of the aspirants in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who have been consulting stakeholders in the past few months.
The lawmaker was said to have stormed out of the meeting, when Gov. Emmanuel brought some political bigwigs to the Governor’s Lodge in the evening, to present his anointed candidate to the stakeholders.
According to Luke, a former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, ‘out of respect and as a loyal party man, I honored an innocent invitation from the governor for a meeting at the lodge.
“At the meeting, my brother from my local government and my federal constituency, Pst. Umo Eno was presented as the choice of the governor for succession.
“It was at the meeting that I heard of the agenda and choice of the Governor for the first time, and no one held any discussion with me prior to the meeting.
“As a fellow aspirant from the same local government at the same advantage when successful, my aspiration to serve the state in the capacity of the Governor remains on course,” he stressed.
He said his reaction would not have been necessary but, for the possible misrepresentation in the media which might create a negative impression about his person and the reputation that he said God has helped him to build these number of years in public service.
Luke however, called on his supporters to remain resolute as his aspiration for the top job in Akwa Ibom remains unchanged.
“My supporters and those sympathetic to my cause should please note that we are as resolute as ever in our desire to give our people purposeful leadership in the office of the Governor come 2023.
God’s Amazing Grace has always seen us through and will always see us through,” stated Hon. Luke.
