Rivers APC Disowns Secretary for Comments about Abe

By Ugo Aliogo

The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has come out very strongly to condemn the state Secretary of the party, Mr. Emeke Beke, over comments credited to him, implying that Senator Magnus Abe is considering defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Beke had in a publication in a national newspaper (not THISDAY) titled: ‘APC not moved by Abe’s cross over to PDP’, accused Abe, the senator representing Rivers South East senatorial district in the national Assembly of “apparent inclination towards pairing with Governor Nyesom Wike and the PDP.”

He was further quoted to have said that “it is obvious that Abe is beginning to fall for the PDP and Governor Wike”, insisting that “APC is not afraid of the development” and that “those who believed in APC are not going to Wike for anything but Abe is.”

But in swift reaction, the state Deputy Chairman of the APC in Rivers State, Prince Peter Odike, strongly condemned the comments of Beke which he said neither represented the view of the state executive committee of the party nor that of the elders, stakeholders, members and teeming supporters of the party in the state.

Odike stated that on the contrary, Abe is the true face and ambassador of the APC in the state currently whose brand of politics is not only greatly reinforcing the belief and commitment of members of the party but daily attracting new followership and obviously making the PDP in the state very jittery in the building up to the 2019 general election.

 The deputy chairman stated that the comment of Beke was tantamount to anti-party activity as it was capable of causing disaffections among the various leadership strata of the party not only in the state but at all levels of the party.

He therefore call on the state secretary to immediately retract the “unfortunate” comments and tender an unreserved apology to Senator Abe, the leadership of the party in the state and indeed all members of the party for such “irresponsible, unguarded and embarrassing comments.”

Odike further called on members of the party in the state to remain focused and not be distracted by the “ill-informed statements of Beke and to join hands with well-meaning leaders of the party, including senator Abe in their determined effort to properly rebuild and position the party as it is already on course to taking over Rivers State come 2019.”