Lawmaker Eats The Humble Pie

Luke who is an estranged political godson to Governor Akpabio had in the past heavily criticised the governor for sidelining his ethnic group, the Ibibios in the affairs of the state. The lawmaker had lambasted the governor in an open letter titled“At a Time like This,” where he alleged the governor’s policies does not favour the Ibibios . Governor Akpabio and his wife, Unoma, were said to have been disappointed and embarrassed over the lawmaker’s affront on them and they worked against his ambition to return to the state house of assembly. The Governor allegedly sponsored another aspirant, Solomon Ekokoi, to challenge Hon. Luke at the PDP primary elections but their candidate was still defeated by the popular Luke, who is a former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, (NANS). To save his ticket, Hon. Luke who is a lawyer like the governor, went on to publish an apology in one of the local newspapers in the state, apologising the governor for his past deeds against him. He wrote: “It is common knowledge that since 2002 I have enjoyed a very deep and beneficial father-son relationship with Your Excellency.,” Mr. Luke said in his apology letter. “However, in the last one year, that relationship of 12 years has suffered seriously due to actions and inactions attributed to me.” “As a political son, I hereby take responsibility for the comments, unfavourable words, positions, ideas and ideology espoused by me which may have contradicted Your Excellency’s disposition.” He continued, “I apologise for the harmful toll which these may have caused Your Excellency. Specifically, I apologise for the use of the phrase, ‘admonish the Governor’, in my open letter to Akwa Ibom people, entitled, ‘At a time like This’. As a younger person, I can’t admonish an elder in our culture. All these are sincerely regretted.” PREMIUM TIMES however learnt that after apologising, the Akpabios were reluctant to forgive the lawmaker, a development until prominent politicians in the state intervened on behalf of Hon.Luke. Governor Akpabio was in the news recently as he was fingered to have been given a St. Kitts and Nevis passport, a tiny Caribbean nationm which is known for helping politicians from Africa stash money there.