Sen. Abe Declares For 2019 Rivers Governorship

Senator Magnus Ngei Abe has indicated interest to contest in the 2019 gubernatorial election of Rivers State.

Abe, who is the senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District, will be seeking his governorship ambition on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Senator made this known in a statement by his media aide, Parrysaroh Benson, after addressing his supporters in Port Harcourt, on Wednesday.

Abe said, “I am glad to say that I have reached a decision which I am going to share with you on a burning issue if Senator Magnus Abe is going to vie for the governorship of this state under the APC or not. I have taken every advice and every opinion.

“I have taken all these views into consideration. I have also consulted my family and most importantly, I have consulted my God. There are several persons who have advised me against seeking for the office of the governor just as there are several who have advised me to go for it. Looking back now, everybody who had spoken to me did so with the best of intentions.

“Having taken all these into consideration, I, Magnus Ngei Dunebari Abe, I have decided to seek the nomination of the All Progressives Congress, Rivers State, in the interest of our state and in the interest of the future of our people.”

The senator said, “We have conducted ourselves with decorum; we have shown and will continue to show great respect for our leaders. This is not our weakness, it is our strength. We must not allow conflict entrepreneurs and frustrated politicians whose only hope for relevance and economic sustenance is the continuous balkanisation of our party”.

“Some of them are here and some of them are there. But, all of us need to ensure that the congresses are free, fair and transparent. Any attempt to hold another hotel-style congress in Rivers State will break faith with the people of the state that we are a party committed to doing the right thing”.

“Without the confidence of the voting public, a political party becomes a mere social club. It will be good for dancing and partying but it will not win any elections”.

Speaking on Abe`s governorship ambition, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Prince Chibudom Nwuche, asked APC members in the state to avoid mistakes of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Nwuche said, “Let APC learn from the mistakes of the People’s Democratic Party. PDP was imposing candidates and that was why some of us left. Today, it is happening in the APC but thank God, Senator Magnus Abe came up. Let us have a transparent congress and let the popular candidate emerge.”

He said, “Magnus Abe is one of the best sons of Rivers State. He has embarked on a journey to free Rivers State. Magnus Abe believes on the development of Rivers State and the empowerment of the people.

“Rivers State needs a leader like Magnus Abe, who will treat all sons and daughters equally. Rivers State needs a leader who will not victimize Rivers people and see sons and daughters of the state who have gotten national recognition as threats.”

Also speaking, Elder Chidi Wihioka, the lawmaker representing Ikwerre/Emohua Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, said: “Nobody can cause problem between the Ikwerre people and the Ogoni people. The cooperation between the two ethnic nationalities had been there before we were born and it will not end at our own time.

“Ikwerre people and the Rivers East senatorial district will support the Ogoni governorship ambition because the people of Ogoni supported Ikwerre people. The four local government areas in Ikwerre are in support and our senatorial district in also in support.”