By Iniobong JOHN
Against the position and direction of National leadership of his party, the PDP, the outgoing Speaker of the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly and House of Representatives member-elect, Mr. Onofiok Luke, penultimate week led 177 other federal lawmakers to publicly adopt and present Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila of the APC as the next Speaker of the Green chambers of the National Assembly.
Mr. Gbajabiamila is the person adopted by Mr. President and the National leadership of the APC for the prime position.
But what could have made Hon. Luke to ignore the position and directive of the National leadership of his party?.
Could he be seeing farther than his party leadership?
Could he be pursuing a self interest and ambition?
Could he be placing the interest of the state above his party’sinterest?.
Could it be part of his 2023 gubernatorial ambition plans?
What’s he really up to?
He may be seeing farther than his party leadership. He may have been convinced that the APC national leadership and the presidency would have their way this time, hence, the need to key in and be relevant in the chambers.
In adopting the APC agenda, he may have negotiated and gotten a good deal in the arrangement. One wouldn’t be surprised if he would be given a juicy committee chairmanship position and other prominent roles to play in the House.
He may have opted not to be blindly loyal to his party and be pushed to the background in the House.
He may have seen that he wouldn’t be able to push the interest of his constituency and the state well if he is not part of the leadership of the House.
As the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom state House of Assembly, he knows the powers vested in the office and he knows how he has used same to bench those he considersantagonistic to his leadership of the House.
So, it is natural that he wouldn’t like to be so tagged and benched by the leadership of the Green chambers of the National leadership. In that case, he is wise and smart.
It is a well-known fact that he is planning to run for governorship in 2023 and Governor Udom Emmanuel is not favourably disposed to his ambition. That being the case, it would be difficult for him to clinch the PDP’s ticket.
He may be working to break into national politics so as to be able to prosecute his gubernatorial ambition even without the support of the governor.
He may be looking beyond the PDP to realise his gubernatorial ambition.
Whatever be case,I wish him well.
John, a youth leader, writes from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
