Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the Rivers South East Senatorial District re-run election has expressed fear that his life could be in danger because of the level of conspiracy against him by Governor Nyesom Wike.
Speaking at Silverbird Rhythm fm 93.7 news and current affairs programme tagged: “The ViewPoint” over the weekend in Port Harcourt, Abe said that there had been a meeting of militants in Ogoni sponsored and masterminded by Governor Nyesom Wike against him.
“There is an evil in Rivers State and I have chosen to speak against it. If anything happens to me, Nigerians, Rivers, Ogoni people and my family should hold Governor Nyesom Wike and his PDP people responsible because the threat against my life is too much”.
Abe said that he fears a situation where he could be attacked and the Rivers State government led by Wike would paint a picture that his people killed him because of the Yeghe crisis.
He noted that the Ogoni people love him and would not do such except outsiders or those who could be sponsored by the state government.
He said that the governor and PDP were seeing him as a strong voice from APC that must be silenced at all cost.
The former Secretary to the State Government narrated how the governor at Luuwa in Khana Local Government Area during the 50th birthday of Senator Lee Maeba had charged his supporters to stop him by all means, pointing out that he specifically charged them “to stop him” and not to vote against him.
He said the ripples of the threat were beginning to manifest with the Yeghe crisis, attempt to malign his reputation and now a meeting of the militants.
Senator Abe further alleged that there is a conspiracy by the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to malign his character and incite the Ogoni people against him before the March 19, 2016 State and National Assembly re-run elections.
He noted that the case of the military approved by Gov. Wike to raid the home of ex-militant leader Solomon Ndigbara in Yeghe was the script the governor and the party were using to malign his character and incite his people against him.
He said that he knew nothing about the operation and had no part in it. He wondered why the governor would sponsor a social media attack where he was described as a desperate politician who would want to win at all cost with the blood of his people.
He said those who knew him would testify that he had never been a desperate politician. Senator Abe recalled that when the caucuses in the Senatorial District endorsed him in 2003, and the leadership of the party said otherwise and chose Senator Lee Maeba that he quickly supported Maeba without fighting him.
Abe recalled that when his party did not approve of his ambition to be the governor of Rivers State, he did not fight the party neither did he give them personal conditions but rather presented only the interest of the Ogoni.
He also stated that when Nyesom Wike was detained by the EFCC, he went to EFCC to obtain his release insisting that without the release of Wike that he would not leave. This, he said, compelled the EFCC to detain him together with Wike.
He said that a person with such antecedent could not be referred to as a desperate politician. “I want to say clearly that Rivers people know that I am not a desperate politician and will never be. Between me and Governor Wike who is desperate for power?” he questioned.
He added that all their plans would fail as Ogoni people are now wiser.
…Blames PDP, Wike for Ogoni crisis
Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, the APC senatorial candidate for Rivers South East in the March 19 re-run election in Rivers state has blame the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for igniting the crisis that led to loss of lives and properties in Ogoni last week Monday.
Abe in a statement made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt also accused the state governor, Chief Nyesom Wike of approving the military operation that led to the burning of his laiason office in Bori.
According to the statement, Abe said, “It’s important that I make this statement with regard to the crisis arising from the military’s attempt to effect the arrest of Solomon Ndigbara, at Yeghe community in Gokana Local Government Area, which led to the hoodlums burning down my Senatorial Liaison Office in Bori, Khana Local Government Area.
He said further that, “I am happy that Governor Nyesom Wike as the Chief Security Officer knew and approved the military operations in Yeghe, Ogoniland.
There is nothing wrong if he, as the Chief Security Officer and after appraising the situation in Ogoni approves that the military should raid the area of criminal elements and maybe recovers arms.
But, the person who stands to be blamed squarely for the crisis is Solomon Ndigbara and his group, who chose to engage the military in a shootout.
The Gokana-born former lawmaker alleged that, “ Information available to me points to the fact that there was a deliberate attempt by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to incite the people against my person and the All Progressives Congress (APC).PDP knows pretty well that we are innocent but in their desperate attempt to exploit the situation for their political gain, they want to hang it on us.
It is sad that this type of politics is being played by people who hold responsible positions”.
He further expressed dismay that, “ that the governor visited the home of ex-militant leader, Solomon Ndigbara in Yeghe community but did not deem it fit to visit my burnt Senatorial Liaison office building at Bori, which is less than two kilometres away from Yeghe, yet, this is the Chief Security Officer, who visited areas affected by the crisis. As leaders, we should be sincere to ourselves and show good examples to our followers”.
To the Ogonis, he said, “we should eschew violence and lawlessness and ensure that we maintain peace. We should not play politics with the incident because the victims of the crisis could have been people from any of the political parties and religion. The sad reality of the destruction of my Liaison office shows that all is not well and could discourage prospective investors to invest in the area.
He however urged his supporters to remain calm in the face of provocation.
