The member representing Etinan/Nsit Ibom/Nsit Ubium Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State, Hon Onofiok Luke, has called on Nigerians to support the president elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Luke, a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), said it was the will of God for Tinubu to emerge winner of the election and urged Nigerians to rally around him to move the country forward.
Addressing journalists, he urged that those who have gone to court to seek redress should put their faith in the judiciary and wait for the outcome of the cases.
Luke, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Judiciary, also called on politicians to desist from making inciteful comments that could further heat up the polity.
This was as he backed Senator Godswill Akpabio for Senate President and Hon Tajudeen Abbas for Speaker of the House of Representatives, saying they were the best for the job.
He said, “Bola Ahmed Tinubu has emerged as the president elect. I am absolute believer in the will of God. It is the will of God that he has emerged. Let is rally around him and see how we can make the country move on and become better. And then those who are pursuing cases in court let us allow them Atiku, Kwankwaso, Obi, Sowore and the rest to continue to pursue the election petitions at the court. But let us begin to put our hands together to move this country forward. We are in crisis.
“Our reputation is not good in the international community and we have domestic issues, economic issues. These issues need to be addressed as soon as possible. We have challenges in health, security, education sectors. We have challenges with the economy. Let us see how we can pull ourselves from this crisis and rally around the president elect and move forward and then allow the cases to go on in court. I am not a member of the APC but i am a Nigerian. I want peace. I want us to move forward as a country.
“You need to balance the interest of the legislature and executive to be a better leader of the legislature. You need to know what the executive thinks and what they want. You need to know what the legislature wants, what the state wants, what the federal wants. By the grace of God we have a man who has been the former governor of a state, two term governor, a performing governor. We call him the uncommon transformer. We have a man who had been a member of the federal executive council. So he knows the workings of the executive. We have a man who has been a commissioner in the state before, so he knows the relationship between the chief executive and the members of the executive. We have a man who has been a minority leader of the Senate as a first timer. A cool headed man. A man who is jovial. So let South South be given this opportunity to produce the senate President in the the person of Senator Dr Godswill Obot Akpabio.
“When you come to the House of Representatives, those contesting for the Speakership have good credentials. They are bringing good credentials to the table. But for the complexity and dynamics of the 10th House of Representatives, the man for the job is Tajudeen Abbas. First look at his educational background. He has a doctorate degree. He is well schooled and educated.
“Secondly there are three major responsibilities and functions of a legislator. One is lawmaking, second is oversight. Third is representation. Take lawmaking. Today Tajudeen Abbas has the highest number of bills in the house. I think about 70. Out of that 21 of those bills have been assented to by the Presidential. That means he lives, sleeps, thinks legislative business. For you to become a better manager of the legislature you must be a better legislator yourself and you know what it means to turn out good legislation.
“In terms of representation, his people in his constituency respect him and see him as humble and down to earth. Then it terms of oversight functions he is a member of committee on judiciary and part of the strength we have had and part of the motions and bills we have is because of most of his contribution. So he has what it takes. Moreover the northwest should be able to produce. I am not of that party. The party has what it takes but for me, the man with the towering credentials is Tajudeen Abbas,” he said.