I’m not leaving PDP – Akwa Ibom Assembly Speaker

The Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Onofiok Luke, has said that nothing would make him leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

There have been speculations in Akwa Ibom that Mr Luke is among the high profile politicians in the state likely to resign from the PDP because of the Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio’s defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Mr Luke, before becoming a legislator, has had a personal relationship with Mr Akpabio and his family. He once served as personal assistant to Mr Akapbio when the latter was the governor of Akwa Ibom State.

“I am a full-blooded member of the PDP. I am a principled person, and I like being known for consistency,” Mr Luke told PREMIUM TIMES, Sunday morning while dismissing the speculations.

The speaker said he started his politics in PDP and that he will continue to stay with the party.

Mr Luke was in Lagos for the Conference of Speakers meeting, when two presidential aides took to social media to confirm that Senator Akpabio was indeed defecting to the APC.

The speaker’s absence at the emergency meeting of PDP leaders convened in Uyo by Governor Udom Emmanuel may have fueled the speculations that he was leaving the PDP.

Some political analysts in the state are of the opinion that Governor Emmanuel needs the likes Mr Luke and the senator representing Uyo Senatorial District, Bassey Albert, to hold forth for him, now that Mr Akpabio is out