The 2023 governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Abe, has said he would soon return to his former party, the All Progressives Congress, which he dumped after the gubernatorial primary of the APC in 2022.
He made this known while featuring in a national television prime time programme, Politics Today on Channels TV on Monday and monitored by our Reporter in Lagos.
He declared that “Politically, I am heading back for the APC.”
Abe ran for governorship in the oil-rich state on March 18 but lost to Siminalayi Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He also failed to emerge as minister representing Rivers as Tinubu instead opted for Nyesom Wike, the immediate past governor as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). A Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thoughts had frantically pleaded with President Bola Tinubu in July 2023 to appoint Abe as a member of his cabinet.
Speaking on efforts to restore peace to the state that has been hit with political impasse in recent time, Abe called for peace, saying even though it was agreed that the 27 lawmakers who dumped their former party, the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) for APC be allowed to remain in their new party, some ‘outside forces’ were contesting the defection in court.
“The position of the lawmakers is being contested from different angles. Their former party, the PDP is contesting the position. The governor had agreed that they can stay in the APC at the present time.
“In terms of the agreement, I think their position is secured for now, but there are some outside forces who are not party to this agreement who will still contest that fact based on the constitutional provisions.
“This is not over yet. What we need in the state is peace and everybody has something they can do to contribute to give us peace in the state,” he said.
