By Ife Osemedua
365Daily – Former Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and current member, House of Representatives, Onofiok Akpan Luke, has disassociated himself from Governor Udom Emmanuel’s 2023 succession plan as he said he remains in the race to lead the state as governor.
Governor Emmanuel had on Sunday, January 30, 2022, presented his Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources, Pastor Umo Eno, as his preferred choice to succeed him.
Emmanuel made his position known in a gathering of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains at the Government House, Uyo, leaving some of those present, including Luke and others with governorship ambition, in an awkward position.
This development came after months of speculations while the governor had kept political observers in the state in suspense with the claim that he was ‘seeking the face of God’ for a suitable choice of a successor.
An elder statesman and former governor of the state, Obong Victor Attah, made the formal presentation of Pastor Eno to the stakeholders which comprised political leaders from the three senatorial districts of Akwa Ibom State.
This development, it turned out, didn’t go down well with Luke and other aspirants in the PDP who felt that the governor and the party should have provided a level playing group for all rather than throwing their aspirations under the bus in such manner.
365Daily gathered that some of those aspirants proceeded from the meeting to a private meeting of aspirants in order to review the situation and come up with a unified position on how to respond to the governor’s move.
Hon. Luke, in a statement after Governor Emmanuel’s unveiling of his preferred aspirant, entitled “We Are Still On Course”, said that he only attended the meeting out of respect for the governor and also as a party faithful.
He, nonetheless, urged his supporters to remain calm as he assured them that he remains firm in his quest to be governor come 2023.
He said: “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.”
According to him, “Out of respect and as a loyal party man, I honoured an innocent invitation from the Governor for a meeting this evening at the lodge.
“At the meeting, my brother from my local government and Federal Constituency, Pst Umo Eno, was presented as the choice of the Governor for succession.
“It was at the said meeting that I heard of the agenda and choice for the first time and no one held any discussion with me prior to the meeting.
“I am not against the choice of the Governor coming from my local government, Federal Constituency nor the aspiration of my brother.
“However, 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.
“This statement would not have been necessary but not for the misrepresentation in media which may create a negative impression about my person and the reputation God has helped me to build these number of years in public service.”