Senator Magnus Abe the former governorship candidate of the social democratic party, SDP, in the 2023 general elections has expressed his willingness to join forces with the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike to work for the realization of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu second’s term bid in 2027.
He stated this during a meeting with his supporters in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, Abe recalled how the former Governor, Rotimi Amaechi worked for the destruction of APC in Rivers state because of his (Abe’s) ambition to contest the governorship of the state in 2015 and 2019.
“Amaechi drove to my house in the presence of my wife and told me that he knew I could win an election. He said should not dare to contest because I did not even have the money to pay delegates. In another meeting at The Dome, he told the elders of the party that if I dare to contest the election, he would destroy the party”,
“The whole drama between me and (Dr. Peterside) Dakuku was unnecessary. Dakuku is my younger brother. It was very clear that Amaechi wanted Dakuku as his successor and that decision divided the state into two even the party.
“I went to Amaechi, the then Governor and told him since you have chosen Dakuku from the minority as Governor, it will be better to have Senator Wilson Ake who has maturity and experience from a majority ethnic group to be a deputy governor to Dakuku. Amaechi immediately said if there was an Abe faction of the APC in the state”.
Abe insisted that anybody he wanted to work with, he must reconcile with the person. “I am comfortable working with Wike. I did everything to convince Wike as Governor then to work for Tinubu in Rivers state. Wike is my friend. Today, he is working in APC government as minister. We must work together.
“Without Wike, Tinubu would not have won in Rivers state working with us alone. This is how Nigerian politics works. In 2027, the north will look at who will come out to contest for presidency. The north cannot support somebody who will want to run for another eight years. The north will still support President Tinubu to do his eight years”.
Though he said that he has tremendous respect for Governor Siminalayi Fubara but “I will always support my party. I will always defend my party. I have the greatest respect for the governor of Rivers state”.
Senator Abe reiterated that the 27 APC lawmakers in the state House of Assembly are members of the party and that he supports their decisions. “There was a time that eleven of us in the National Assembly defected to APC, we did not lose our seats. We want peace in Rivers state and we will always call for peace”.
However, Abe said that he returned to the All Progressives Congress, APC, to work with the caretaker committee chairman of the party, in Rivers state, Chief Tony Okocha, adding that it was the best decision to reconcile with both the FCT Minister and Okocha.
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