Abe dismisses APC consensus, vows to contest guber polls

Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Senator Magnus Abe, has dismissed the party’s consensus arrangement, which reportedly chose Tonye Cole as sole aspirant and vowed to contest the 2023 polls.

Speaking, yesterday, at a rally in the Okrika Council of Rivers State, Abe said: “I have come out to say very clearly that I will stand for the office of governor of Rivers State.”

He described the meeting held at the Abuja residence of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, which produced Cole, as a “kangaroo” meeting.

The senator, who represented the Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, urged Rivers people to take their destiny in their hands, stressing that Rivers people had never been slaves to anybody and would not be swayed by any amount of money to buy the conscience of the people.

He said: “We know where we are headed, we are not afraid. I know no amount of gang-up can overtake the will of Rivers people if we make up our minds.

“Rivers people have never been slaves to anybody and nobody, no matter the amount of money he has, no matter the amount of rhetoric he brings forth, can enslave us here in Rivers State.”

The former senator urged the people to choose a leader that understood their plights.

He said: “We are having an election. People are bringing their partners; you should look for your partner that will work with you to make things work for you. If you choose the wrong partner, you will continue to suffer.”

Abe maintained that he would only respect the decision of the Rivers people if they preferred another to him.

He noted that for APC to succeed in the state, there must be a clear, transparent and honest process by which everybody would have a say.

“We must be very careful not to allow people to use their political schemes to divide us and keep us down because of what they want,” he added.