By Osondu Ahirika
I received his call 10:30am on Friday, October 22, 2021. Whenever he calls, joy comes in the morning. This time in addition, his message was short, precise and straightforward.
“My brother, I am running for Governor come 2023, to serve my State and People. Its a vision that was written down and the time has come. Just so that you know and by God’s unqualified grace, I will succeed.” A profound Audacity of Hope – A ‘Yes We Can’ (Apologies to Barack Obama) assurance from immediate Past Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and incumbent Member, who represents Etinan Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, The Rt. Hon. Barrister. Onofiok Luke.
I did a quick review of the pros and cons of his weighty call. The reflection of his Amazing Grace Campaign Mantra with which he has consistently defied formidable odds in his politcal odyssey to become victorious. Applied to his current aspiration and the galaxy of aspirants in the Governorship race, I concluded, Onofiok Luke will run for Governor come 2023, God willing, as the indisputable Underdog.
The Biblical story of David and Goloiath is the most famous epic of and Underdog in all of history. By Underdog, I mean a competitor thought to have little chance of winning a fight or contest. The more impossible the chances the better.
I shall return to Onofiok Luke shortly. Let me proceed abroad to bring you a broader perspective of the archetypal tale of the Underdog as narrated by Lutheran cleric, The Rev. Ken Klaus.
ln 1948, Harry Truman (1874-1972) was running for the Presidency of the United States. If you follow keenly the
American campaign trail, you will be impressed by how open and predictable their Presidential contest is.
Opinion polls carried out by major satelite Televisions like Fox News, Sky News, CNN and others like Gallop Polls, Times and Newsweek Magazine Polls etc., always quite correctly, determine who wins the race. Almost all of the time, the man leading in public opinion polls, wins the outcome of general elections.
That year, every opinion poll ruled Harry Truman out. It predicted his Republican opponent, Thomas Dewey, will give Truman a thorough drubbing. Political analysts supported the view. Back then major newspapers and magazines went to town. Hear how some of them reported the possible outcome. The Fort Lauderdale Daily News published a 62% vote in favour of Dewey. Life Magazine featured a full page picture of Dewey with the caption, “The New President.” The Manchester Guardhan screamed with a report Harry S Truman-“Study of a Failure” and The Chicago Tribune carried the anticipatory banner story, “Dewey Defeats Truman”.
It was a supposedly hopeless situation. On election Night, Dewey, in New York, prepared his acceptance speech while Truman, at Missouri, ate ham and sandwiches. Both were glued to news reports.
At 6am reports came that Truman had lost. By 10 pm the case was hopeless for Truman. At midnight vote counts turned in favour of Truman but by a slim I million, two hundred thousand votes. Yet people felt, when the Red States and the swing States are counted Dewey will win.
By 2 am in the morming, the lead had risen to 2 million plus for Truman. The events of the dramatic night was pointer, Truman was not really that hopeless as opinion pollsters thought. Truman won and continued as President, having succeeded Franklin Roosevelt on April 12, 1945 after he died that day.
That’s the story of a man, who like many others in American and world history ran as underdogs. Such example is a welcome consolation to Rt. Hon. Luke who has already bagged a hat trick of Underdog triumphs.
The countless supporters who look upon his situation and those in his politcal camp must dig deep into their reservoir of faith and see the substance of things hoped for. I recall as a Pastor, times, and there are many, when the doctors report brings a pall of gloom and severe doubt over a patient. Times when the doctors diagnosis show it is a terminal disease and the victim cannot make it. But, sometimes we have heard miraculous stories of incredible comebacks that even defy empirical logic and scientific inquiry.
On Tuesday, November 30, 2010, the youth prodigy who was then , Pioneer Speaker of the Nigeria Youth Parliament was called to the Bar as a Lawyer. It was a miracle that he concluded his University education, National Youth Service Corps and Law School, given that, his brilliant academic journey was truncated on trumped up charges for standing up for Students Welfare as then Students Union Government President of te University of Uyo Tuskers Republic. He launched a divinely orchestrated comeback, defeated the hurdles and triumphed.
When he ran for a Second term as Legislator representing Nsit Ubium State Constituency in the Aķwa Ibom State House of Assembly, the opposition from powers that be vowed to unhorse him. He thrived and trumped the man made barricades to return. It was a devastating comeback that stunned his traducers.
His attempt to become Speaker of the 6th Assembly was riddled with conspiracy theories and a first time Legislator, Rt. Hon. Elder Aniekan Uko emerged the compromise candidate rather than have an Onofiok Luke Speakership.
Fate intervened and on December 22, 2019, the Hurricane of Destiny precipitated events and propelled Onofiok Luke to his predestined station. No power could abrogate the finger of God. When he moved to run for the Federal House of Representatives, he did so against a formidable predecessor, Rt. Hon. Elder Sam Ikon. He won.
As he takes this leap into the severely ‘landmined’ Gubernatorial contest, I’m persuaded Rt. Hon. Luke knows, the Arms of Flesh will fail woefully and cannot cut this one. Power belongs to God and not in my hands. If it were mine to appropriate,…who knows? Howbeit, I know that same Grace that brought him this far can see him through.
Truth is, given his youthful age, in this era of Not – Too -Young – to – Run, probing the Generation gap with other titans that may eventually throw their hats into the 2023 Hell in a Cage Ring, considering the demands and need for a Statewide structure(s) and the all important war chest needed to fund electioneering campaigns at this level, Onofiok Luke starts off as the clear Underdog.
As His Excellency Governor Udom Emmanuel steps aside at the end of his tenure, who will take his turn on the seat of power and get the official Seal of State?
Before our eyes, against the run of play, we’ve seen underdogs trump top dogs. Search our political history don’t ask me who, when and where. Will this Underdog happen after the whistle and the race? God knows and time will tell.
• Ahirika is a newspaper columnist and public affairs analyst.