By Joyce Remi- Babayeju
The FCT) Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike, has declared that he will only support whoever supports President Bola Tinubu’s reflection, irrespective of political party, in the FCT Area Councils’ election, scheduled for February 21.
Wike stated this in Abuja on Saturday, during Senator Sandy Onor’s 60th birthday, a celebration of six decades of scholarship, leadership, service, and meaningful impact.
The minister, who said he owed no one an apology for supporting Tinubu, promised to support any candidate that supports the president irrespective of party affiliation.
“We have the FCT Area Council election coming up on February 21, and I have a duty to support any candidate that supports President Tinubu to win.
“It is also my duty to ensure that any candidate that is not supporting Tinubu does not win in the election, and I owe no apology for my stand,” Wike said.
The minister described the celebrant as a credible ally, a trustworthy friend, and a good brother.
According to him, Onor is not just a friendly but a reliable friend, even in times of trouble, and that is when you know who is a friend.
“I will continue to be with you and work with you, because I know even if I am not alive today, you will not abandon my family,” Wike said.
Reading the citation of the celebrant, Prof. Anthony Eyang said, Onor, born on February 14, 1966, in Ikom, Cross River State, was raised in an environment deeply rooted in community values, discipline, and faith.
Eyang said that the journey of Onor, a professor of history, began from the lecture halls of the University of Calabar to the floor of the Nigerian Senate and onward to Cross River State politics.
“This reflects a life devoted to learning, leadership, and the advancement of society,” he said.
Earlier, Chairman of the Planning Committee, Senator Philip Aduda, said that the event was a thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness in Onor’s life, both as an academic and as a politician.
On his part, Mr. Samuel Otom, former governor of Benue, described Onor as an “icon,” a great Nigerian, and a man who had prepared himself and was fit for leadership.
Otom, who stood in for the chairman of the occasion, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, former governor of Abia State and ambassador designate, equally described Onor as a “good man.”
Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), described the celebrant as a courageous and intelligent man, saying, “I love Senator Sandy Onor because he is not one of those who stigmatize the constitution as a product of the military. He is a courageous and intelligent man.”
Prof. Dave Imbua, while presenting a Festschrift, a book written by scholars in honor of the celebrant, said Onor has remained a notable historian among academics.
Ikpeazu unveiled the book on behalf of Wike and his friends, with N50 million.
In his remarks, the celebrant said he had realized in his 60th year of life that it was good to be a man of excellence and a man of character, adding that hard work pays.
Onor, however, said that “everything becomes insignificant if the finger of God is absent.
He thanked his family, friends, and well-wishers for the show of love, adding that their support would not be taken for granted.
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