Senator Abe bows out of APC, maintains his support for Tinubu’s Presidential ambition
By Ridwan Adekunle
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governorship aspirant, Senator Magnus Abe, has announced his exit from the ruling party.
Featuring on Channels Television on Wednesday,Abe who represented Rivers South East Senatorial District in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, in his statement said he left the party to pursue his Governorship ambition elsewhere.
Senator Abe who have been at loggerheads with the immediate past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, over the leadership of the APC in the state bows out of the party said
“To be very honest. I don’t think the APC would be much of a factor in the 2023 elections in the River State. As far as the Governorship is concerned,I don’t think so.
“But what I do know is that ultimately, a political party is made up of people. And it is the people that give it strength , when the people are not with the party, the party becomes at the very best a flag and the building.
“So as far as Rivers State is concerned, we are talking with Rivers people. We are engaging with them. We launched the project SMA 2023, and it is receiving very well.”
He claims his region has been neglected in ruling the state .
“Well, there are questions I can answer that other people will have to answer for themselves. But what I will tell you is that I am from the Rivers South East Senatorial District in Rivers State.
“ And I’m from Ogoni .The River South East Senatorial District is the only section of river state that has never had the opportunity to produce a leadership for the state.
“And in that Rivers South East senatorial districts, the only people who are the majority in that senatorial district have never participated in the leadership of River States.
“No Ogoni son or daughter has ever been a Governor,a deputy governor,a speaker or a chief judge in the entire history of River State.”
Furthermore, he said he owes the people of River State alot.
“And so I feel that having come this far. I owe the people of River State an opportunity to present our peoples Rivers people with an opportunity for the states to come together.”
On the question of which party he is heading to he said, “We are working with a political party,we will disclose it when we get there. I want to assure you that I will be on the ballot , when the ballot is declared the names of those who are contesting and their political party, I will be on that list.”
Abe maintained his stance on supporting Tinubu’s Presidential ambition, he stated “When we get there,what everybody in this country knows which I have said publicly is that the issue of who becomes the next President of this country must be bigger than any political party.”
“I think that much is obvious to everybody in this country, because the reasons why I decided to support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is beyond politics.
“It is about the future of our country,and my belief that at this time, Nigerians need to come together to look for somebody that has a proven track record of getting things done. And there are things in this country that can no longer wait as far as I’m concerned. Unless I am convinced otherwise, I have decided that I will vote and support Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,that’s a personal decision.”
