I’ll Be on the Ballot, Says Senator Abe

 Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Abe, has described the party’s primaries held in the state on Thursday as a charade.

This as Abe, who is a former Representative of the Rivers South-east Senatorial District at the national assembly has insisted that his name will be on the ballot sheet for the 2023 governorship election.

Abe spoke in Port Harcourt yesterday, while responding to questions why he and his supporters did not participate in the state APC primaries.

Against the rumour that he has dumped the party, Abe explained that he would not be in a process that is not fair and transparent but said he is still a full member of APC.

The governorship aspirant explained: “I have received a lot of messages saying that I have withdrawn from the primaries of the APC, that is not true. I have not withdrawn and I will not withdraw.

“What is being set up today is a charade. Everybody knows that in a delegate election if you are not included in how the delegates are chosen, if the process of choosing the delegates is not inclusive, is not transparent and is not fair, the outcome of what the delegates will do cannot be any difference from the process that produced them.

“Like I stated at the beginning of this whole thing when I declared, I said I will not accept the outcome of any process that is not just, fair, equitable and that is not inclusive.

“The indirect primaries being conducted today by the former Minister of Transportation and his cronies in the APC in Rivers State, clearly does not meet that standard, and for that reason why I decided not to participate, not to withdraw out of respect for the party, I want to say clearly that I will not accept the outcome neither will I be bound by it”.

However, Abe urged Rivers people that as the 2023 elections draws nearer, they should choose their governor wisely, a man who will manage the affairs of the state successfully.

“To Rivers people, let me say this clearly, there will be an election to elect a governor for the people of Rivers State in March next year as in other parts of this country. And it will be the responsibility of Rivers people to choose who that governor will be, that will superintend the affairs and activities of all of us.

“What I will say to Rivers people is that I Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, will be on that ballot and Rivers people will have the opportunity to choose who shall lead our dear state moving forward.

“No one individual, however powerful, however well connected, however wealthy will decide for all of us. You will have that opportunity to decide who our next governor will be and I Magnus Abe will be on the ballot,” he assured.