By: Felix Ikpotor
A frontline governorship candidate in Rivers State and the current senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District, Magnus Ngei Abe has insisted that he remains committed to the struggle for justice and to claim the mandate freely given to him by members of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Rivers State.
Abe stated this on Friday while reacting to the recently released list of governorship candidates cleared by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC to contest the 2019 general elections.
The party in a statement released on Friday by the Acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena published a list of 24 candidates cleared for governorship in the various states where primaries have been conducted.
In Rivers State, Tonye Cole was cleared as the governorship candidate.
Tonye Cole emerged as winner of the indirect primaries of the party held by the Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi led faction while Senator Magnus Abe was declared winner of the direct primaries adopted by the Chief Peter Odike led faction of the party.
Abe while briefing newsmen at his campaign office in Port Harcourt said the process that throw up Cole was unacceptable and against the wish of the majority of the party faithfuls.
Abe noted that Rivers State was one of the states mentioned by the National Executive Committee (NEC), of the party that direct primaries would hold.
He said, ” We remain committed to our journey of freedom for Rivers people and the battle line has just been drawn”.
Continuing, Abe said, “the facts remains that Rivers State was one of those states mentioned by NEC in the presence of the President, Mohammadu Buhari that will have direct primaries and we have communicated same to all members of the party”.
He added that, ” we do not know who were the delegates that purportedly voted in the indirect primaries as the party structure in the state is a subject of a litigation that is ongoing”.
Abe maintained that the indirect primaries was a charade set up by a close group to enthrone a predetermined candidates and as such the result remains unacceptable to members of the party.
The lawmaker noted that the decision of the NWC of the party to accept the report declaring Tonye Cole as winner is temporary as it has set up an appeal panel to entertain complaints from aggrieved members, adding that he was already working on his appeal to be submitted to the panel and expressed the hope that he will get justice in the end.
Abe who said he remains committed to the ideals of President Mohammadu Buhari, urged all his supporters to remain calm and continue to give their support as the fight for justice must be taken to the end.
