INTERVIEW: I feel fulfilled at 60, Have no regret in the political roles played so far, says Prof. Onor

Prof Sandy Onor clocks 60 on Saturday, February 14, 2026. The erudite scholar was a former Commissioner for Environment and agriculture. He was former chairman of Cross River State Local Government Service Commission. He represented the Cross River State Central Senatorial District at the 9th Assembly where he was named the Orator of the Assembly. In 2023, he was on the ballot again as the PDP Governorship candidate in the general elections.

To mark his 60th Birthday, Prof Onor, in this interview with the Editor-in-Chief of THE BEAGLE NEWS, JUDEX OKORO, barred his mind on several issues including life at 60, his academic journey, forays into the murky political waters, his relationship with FCT Minister and views about Cross River politics. 

Excerpts

Saturday, February 14 is your day, your birthday. How do you feel at 60?

I feel very fulfilled and humbled at the same time especially when I look at my background. I came from a small village in the middle of the central senatorial district known as Nsofang, but we indigenes pronounce it Ncofang. Up till this time as I speak to you, access to my community is seasonal. During the rainy season, we still find it difficult to access the community by road so we access it basically during the dry season by road and during the raining season by river. So, it gives you an idea of how remote my community is and how humble I am that God has been able to transport me to where I am today. Not just by dint of hard work and intellect but because His mercies endured forever and I can fittingly be described as a child of grace. So, I am thankful to God. In as much as I feel very fulfilled. I also feel very humbled and blessed. 

 How has your place of birth as you have stated shaped your life and where is the interplay in the context of your public service to humanity?

I think that the quantum of my thanksgiving is directly a function of the realisation of how remote my original have been. I'm thankful to God because today you can describe me as completely cosmopolitan. It gives you a clear idea of how supersonic my life has been. That is why I have said that my heart is filled with thanksgiving to God for how my life has been this far. I could have been a local hunter, or a subsistence farmer or a fisherman. I'm not speaking in derogatory terms but I'm saying that I have made progress beyond these rudimentary occupations.

I'm undoubtedly a politician of note, I am an intellectual worthy of citation in both local and international journals, and I’m a properly published author. To answer your question directly when you grow up in that kind of background you are minded to understand that taking sides with the underprivileged is a blessing. So, I am always guided by where I come from, treat everybody I meet with love and understanding, knowing that not all of us are born with a silver spoon in our mouth. It has made me a humanist and also a fighter because every day I am minded to emancipate not just the people I grew up with but people of their types across the state.

So, I tell people for instance that I am from Ito Edet Ukwa in Odukpani, I am from Agoi Ibami and Agoi Ekpo in Yakurr, I am from Bibomubagi in Boki and I am from Ukelle in Yala, I belong to those communities that are peripheral to the socioeconomic and political development of our state and that can be extrapolated to Nigeria at large. And this makes me constantly try as much as possible to prove that your birth is not a limitation and that with hard work, good intellect and the grace of God you can again use any level you want in life.

 How do you feel at 60?

In any case at 60, I have the realisation that service to man and the fear of God are two elevating variables in life. All other things can be interpreted within the context of these twin pillars that I have articulated. However, being fulfilled does not isolate you from expectations. So long as you live, you will continue to expect, hope, and keep faith alive. So I feel fulfilled, content but I don't think I should be gripped by complacency. We are still working hard, looking forward to optimism, trusting God for more and still thankful for what he had done for us this far.

However, there has been many fulfilling moments and I cannot pigeonhole one. They are many and are moments of love and joy; there are many and when I look back, all of the vicissitudes put together- my successes, failures, the lessons I learnt from all of these, my challenges, moments of commendation- makes my life worth it. There is this story of the Queen of France, when people rose in rebellion in anarchy she asked people around her at the place why are they protesting, why is there a riot and they said to her the people don't have bread and she exclaimed if they do not have bread they should eat cake for her she grew up in the palace all her life and did not know the distinction between bread and cake. Put differently, it's good to experience life in all its patterns. It's not every time that failure is evil sometimes failure is beautiful because there are lessons to learn and when you understand failure you will be in charge of success. Success will not excite you too much because some people get too excited at success that it begins to breed the seeds of failure. So I am a man that can safely say that I live a life of balance because I have seen all sides and that is the beauty of my life this far.

 Can we say you are a lover’s man?

I am, my wife can testify to it, those people who are my friends can say so. I like to love rather than hate, light rather than darkness, that is the truth about me and I love to be happy. That is why anything that makes me unhappy, I try to distance myself from it because at the end of the day, what is life about? Life is about making people happy. No matter how much you have to accumulate if you don't find happiness then you have accumulated nothing and if you like happiness try to spread it around to others. I believe that very strongly and it speaks to my philosophy in life.

 What has been your most fulfilling moment at 60?

There have been many fulfilling moments and I cannot pigeonhole one. There are many and are moments of love, joy they are many and when I look back, all of the vicissitudes-my successes, failures, the lessons I learnt from all of these, my challenges, moments of commendation- all of that put together makes my life worth it. There is this story of the Queen of France, when people rose in rebellion in anarchy. She asked people around her at the place why are they protesting, why is there a riot and they said to her that the people don't have bread and she exclaimed if they do not have bread they should eat cake for her she grew up in the palace all her life and did not know the distinction between bread and cake. Put differently, it's good to experience life in all its patterns. It's not every time that failure is evil, sometimes failure is beautiful because there are lessons to learn and when you understand failure you will be in charge of success. Success will not excite you too much because some people get too excited at success that it begins to breed the seeds of failure. So I am a man that can safely say that I live a life of balance because I have seen all sides and that is the beauty of my life this far.

 What are the notable landmarks of your life at 60?

I don't think it is for me to say because I cannot be hyping myself but I think there are many of them relating to my life. I graduated top of my class at 21, got back to teach in the University at 22, started the Masters Programme and got advanced to the Ph.D because of my brilliant performance, had a PhD just as I turned 27, got into politics and was elected into several offices. I went back to the university and became a professor. I have so many books and articles to my credit. My public service record is beautiful I'm happily married with children. I am a happy man. But like I said, I've also had my own shares of failure. In all of my stride, God has been beautiful. There are so many landmarks depending on your level of interaction with me and the lessons you derive from interacting with me and I will like the public to speak about them and not me. A few days ago, I interacted with a young man in Abuja and he said I have been hearing of you for so long and you are so young and I said to him that I started very early. In my twenties I already made my mark and people had started hearing about me so I have lived an exciting life, a happy life and I am thankful to God about it.

 Regrets at 60 and things you think you would have done better

I have no regrets at 60, you know with the benefits of hindsight you look at some things, maybe you would imagine that if you did it this other way, maybe it would have been better, I am a very careful thinker and very deliberate in my actions. No matter how carefully planned your life is, there are variables that are not within your grasp that is why God is greater than man. But when you look at my life. I'm not a devious person so all my actions are well thought out and whatever variables are thrown at me I calculate. I've done my best and also deal with them as I see them as a man. So for me all that has happened to me has been according to God.

We must be humble enough to understand that no matter what happens to us no matter how hard we try, things will always be according to Him and you must receive it with thanksgiving. That is why the Bible says that in all things you must give thanks. The Bible did not say when things are good give thanks that is why the good, bad and ugly are part of all things. The other person John says in this world you shall have tribulations but in Christ Jesus you shall have peace, be of good cheer. So, the world is just like that do your bit and be fair to all, have a clear and clean conscience, forgive easily and count yourselves worthy. If you look at my life thus far, you cannot describe me as a bed of passage. I came, saw and participated meaningfully, I conquered. I had my own share of failures, I learnt lessons and still expect that the future holds a lot of strong events for me by the grace of God.

 People are blaming you for the failure of PDP in the last general elections in Cross River State,

Let me tell you, failure, no matter how contrived, is an orphan in our society especially where food is becoming increasingly more difficult to have. Once you fail, people will run away from you. But if we had won that election, would anybody have said anything and I knew why we lost. Even journalists know why we lost. No matter your campaign, once the super structure of the electoral system is seized from you, you will lose. Those who are still making noise about my loss are those who imagined that PDP was their personal property and nobody can defeat them. We defeated them at the primaries and heaven did not fall. They have no capacity bigger than my own, this bad Belle is too much. You engage in anti-party and you are proud to continue to sing it for a man who has benefitted from the party not because of merit but because of access for over 24 years. Who does that? Did we come into the politics of Cross River to be slaves to anybody for life? I have no regrets. I articulated my reasons for running and I know I have the capacity to be a proper Governor of Cross River and I mean well for the people of the state. That I lost is a different kettle of fish entirely. I have no regrets for my decision and nobody can speak to my destiny, only God alone understands the dynamics of my destiny. So, those people who are talking are just bad Belle people and have little capacity for genuine analysis.

Those blaming me for PDP’s failure are cowards, people who felt that the PDP was their personal property, so when they failed they refused to recover from their failure. There is no sportsmanship in their attitude. They should be ashamed of themselves that they did anti party and they should stop spewing lies all over the place. I know why I lost the elections and it's not to the fact of what they are saying. When it is time, we will speak.

 Is PDP dead in Cross River State as its being speculated?

Who killed it, you and your crew of friends? PDP is alive and kicking. It may be going through its own problems now but which party does not have problems, wait and see, which party? We are optimistic, strong, God will see us through.

 Does the PDP stand a chance in the state come 2027?

Why are you periodising the flow of political history? God has his own time. If God says in 2027 we will bounce back, we will definitely bounce back; if he says in 2027 we should tarry a bit, we will tarry but what I am telling you is that we are not dead. When you are engaging in farming don't you plant a seed? Sometimes a seed is being planted and people think it is dead but then it germinates with fruits that are even better than the previous ones. So, we are not dead, we are going through our own vicissitudes and we are patient and resilient enough to go through it. I've learnt better and will do better in the future that is the truth. Those who are speaking ADC will soon get to find that it is an artificial concoctions, those who drink it will soon disappear.

 2027 and your ambition

Why should I tell you if I have, you wait and see. That will not be a good political strategy. Let's see you know by March ending we would have done our convention, we are very conscious of the timelines by INEC when we do that we will get down to the ground.

 Way forward for the People's Democratic Party considering the party has become a shadow of itself

Let me make a correction quickly, the party is a shadow of itself in your eyes not in our eyes. The party is undergoing its own vicissitudes which is a natural tendency for every organisation, for every man. The party will come out from the valley to the mountain too again. Take Cross River, where was APC before Ayade's defection even when Ayade defected where was APC? Is it not the in thing now? What makes you think that in the very next minute there will not be reversals? Look we have been in this game for a very long time and there is nothing to worry about. The crisis in PDP is over. We are the ones who are the pillars of the PDP today and we are happy with it.

They took us to the court in Ibadan to legitimize themselves and they ended up making it clear to the whole world that they are illegitimate children because they flouted court orders to hold their Amala Convention. We told them what was going to happen but you know people don't like the truth. Before the convention the board of trustees set up a committee populated by eminent Nigerians who told them clearly that there is need sort out these problems in-house before we go to Ibadan but some people have their egos bigger than themselves thought they could do us in ended up doing themselves in. They are not reasonable. I'm not a lawyer but there is no reasonable court who will clap for you for violating court orders. So without preempting the judgment of the courts I am very sure that we are on the path of history. Very soon we will organise our own national convention. We will keep the door open for reconciliation, if they come we take them.

 Are you not afraid that the ADC might emerge as the next ruling party in Nigeria?

I'm not afraid of artificialities. What is ADC and how far can they go? It's very clear that even managing their nomination process will be a big issue, then the illusion of imagining that Nigerians are different from the power brokers of the moment its naive analysis. You guys should know that popularity alone does not earn you victory in Nigeria, you must have the structure to warehouse that popularity, defend that popularity, out that popularity in perspective, so with the way Nigeria is today, you will give ADC any chance, you must be a joke to do so.

 Relationship with FCT minister

The FCT minister is a great guy, he is my very good friend and political leader. He does not hide it anywhere he goes. Sandy Onor is my friend and he too is my friend, and I have also elected to make him my political leader. Those who worry about my relationship with him should worry about themselves. I have my own political group and our vision is clear. The FCT minister's style may not be the style of everyone but his style is productive and yields results in its own way. Those that chose to criticize him, how much mileage have they you been able to go. He's a very great guy, patriotic and dependable. He’s one of the best leaders Nigeria has been able to produce. He believes in the best interest of the people, take your own and I take my own that is the meaning of Iyendi ebaa, Iiyendi ebaa. Those who worry about him are those who are on the negative side of his stick.

He does not look for anybody's trouble but when you look for his trouble you have murdered sleep. I knew Wike as local government chairman and we were friends from then. So, it's not a thing of today. My friendship with Wike is not opportunistic. From local government chairman he became Chief of staff to Governor Rotimi Amaechi, from there he became Minister of State and we continued to be friends then he became supervising minister of Education. We continued to be friends. He's now FCT minister and we are friends even when he comes down from his position as FCT minister we will continue to be friends. Beyond politics I like his company, enjoy his fidelity, like his dependability. Who does not like a dependable friend in amid abundant treachery? And he does not just love and respect me, he loves and respects Cross River and I've seen it with my own eyes. So, what else do I want from a friend. So, they should not take Panadol for my headache. They should look at their own situation and see whether they are doing well for Cross River and also for themselves. I am good with Nyesom Wike, he is a great guy.

 What do you think is the way forward in the situation in Cross River State?

I don't like making comments about the situation in Cross River State. You know I ran elections against Gov. Bassey Otu and he is the one sitting as governor, I just feel that I should show restraint in making commentary because it is his moment in the sun and it is his time to shine. So, I will rather not make comments on that. All I would say is that we should all learn from the past and know that power is transient. Cross River is one and we should treat everyone with that sense of equality because fundamentally peace is a corner stone for development. Whatever development we bring about, if there is no peace, integration, and unity, we are not doing well for our people.

 Any comment on the Bakassi issue, the 76 oil wells saga?

As a historican, I feel it's an unfortunate situation in the history of Nigeria. At this point in time you cannot cede territory for instance without a referendum. Bakassi was too hastily done, too terribly maneuvered with a dosage of carelessness that was avoidable. So, I am unhappy about it that we suffered from it, lost Bakassi and the oil wells. The illogicality of ceding of the oil wells to neighbouring Akwa Ibom is very painful. I can't understand it. You had Bakassi then it was taken and then oil wells that were with you migrated miraculously to another state. No matter the legalism that was used, it does not make common sense at all. But the law can be a miracle in many respects. But we pray that common sense will prevail

 Message to the youths and future expectations

They should be strong, firm, go to school properly. They should believe in God and be fair to men. Life without hope and faith is empty and they should embrace the future with optimism. Sandy Onor holding hands with them will continue to participate in the political and evolution of Cross River State and what the future holds will be dependent on all our efforts towards what the design of God is. I wish all of us well and also wish Cross River State well.

General advice to Cross Riverians

My general advice is that they should be a little bit more honest with themselves, less afraid and a little bit more demanding from their governments. I don't like the situation where you chorus a leader and give the impression that he does not wrong then immediately the leader leaves, the very next moment you begin to demonise the leader