Agency Report
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, says he will support only candidates who support President Bola Tinubu’s vision, irrespective of political party, in the FCT area councils’ election scheduled for February 21.
Wike made the statement in Abuja on Saturday night 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 back any candidate aligned with the President.
“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 who is not supporting Tinubu does not win in the election, and I owe no apology on my stand,”* Wike said.
Speaking about the celebrant, Wike described Onor as a “credible ally, a trustworthy friend, and good brother.”
According to him, Onor is not only a friend but a reliable one, even in times of trouble: “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.”
Reading the citation for the celebrant, Prof. Anthony Eyang said Onor, born on Feb. 14, 1966, in Ikom, Cross River, was raised in an environment rooted in community values, discipline, and faith.
Eyang noted that Onor’s journey, from the lecture halls of the University of Calabar to the Nigerian Senate and onward to Cross River politics, “reflects a life devoted to learning, leadership, and the advancement of society.”
Earlier, Chairman of the planning committee, Senator Philip Aduda, said the event was a thanksgiving for God’s faithfulness in Onor’s life, both as an academic and a politician.
Former Governor of Benue, Mr Samuel Otom, who stood in for the Chairman of the Occasion, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, former Governor of Abia State and Ambassador-designate, described Onor as an “icon,” a great Nigerian, and a man prepared and fit for leadership. He also called Onor a “good man.”
Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Kalu Agabi (SAN), described the celebrant as courageous and intelligent. “I love Sen. Sandy Onor because he is not one of those who stigmatise the constitution as a product of the military,” he said.
Head of Department of History and International Studies, University of Calabar, Prof. Dave Imbua, presented a Festschrift—a book written by scholars in honour of the celebrant—stating that Onor has remained a notable historian among academics.
The book was unveiled by Ikpeazu on behalf of Wike and his friends, with a reported N50 million contribution.
In his remarks, Onor said he had realised in his 60th year that it is good to be a man of excellence and character, adding that hard work always pays.
He noted, however, that “everything becomes insignificant if the finger of God is absent in one’s life.”
Onor thanked his family, friends, and well-wishers for their support and expressed that their encouragement would not be taken for granted.
(NAN)
