By: Felix Ikpotor
Immediate past lawmaker representing Rivers South East Senatorial District, Magnus Ngei Abe has rejected the Saturday, July 31st , 2021 ward congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held in Rivers State.
Abe who stated this at Bori, Rivers State during the inauguration of the Khana local government area chapter of the Rivers Voice of Freedom (RVF) said his faction of the party has already submitted a petition to the national secretariat of the party.
He also debunked insinuations that he and his supporters boycotted the congress, stressing that members of the party who paid for forms were completely shut out of the process as they were not given forms or allowed to participate in the process.
Abe said: “I did not boycott the ward congress. People were locked out of the process. When they said people should come individually to the state secretariat to collect forms one by one and show their identity card, there are over eight thousand positions in Rivers State in the ward congress; if eight thousand people went to any location over the period of three four days everybody in Rivers State will know. In the whole of Nigeria there was nowhere people gathered to collect forms one by one.
Let me say it loud and clear. We will not accept it and it will not work. We will follow the rules of the party, we have submitted a petition to the National Caretaker Committee Chairman and we believe that he will look into it. I don’t think that what happened here was acceptable to anybody.”
He urged members of the group not to be deterred by the wrangling in the party but to continue to be bold and to talk to Rivers people.
“Continue to be bold and fearless in marshaling out your points, with time, people who have no points, people who have no logic behind what they want other than they want it will end up looking like children,” he said.
Earlier, President-General of Rivers Voice of Freedom, Comr. Dominic Dumekpigi said RVF is a movement that has come to stay and to emancipate the people from political slavery and marginalisation.
He said the group which is loyal to Senator Magnus Abe came up because of the injustices that befell the APC and youths in the state in 2019 as a result of the actions of some selfish leaders within the party.
“ As youths of Rivers State, we have come to realize the importance of coming together and fighting for our rights. That’s why we have come together to form RVF so that we can fight for our rights. Never again shall we allow people to deny us our rights and privileges. Its unfortunate that at this point in time, some leaders will still behave as if they are in the ancient days, they still want to be in the confines of their houses to dictate what will happen for others. It’s not done; politics in a democratic system ought to be open. Politics is a game of numbers. We cannot continue to sit and watch our future being mortgaged by greedy leaders,” he said.
He urged the newly inaugurated executives to go into all units and wards in the area and galvanise support for Abe.
Also speaking, Honourable Friday NuBari Nke-eeh, a former member of the Rivers State House of Assembly described the group as a sign of progress in the party.
He added that the people of Khana are behind Senator Abe.
“Khana people are members of APC and are ready to work and you can trust that no matter the insinuation from anywhere, the Khana people are ready for APC and in particular Senator Abe. We are determined to ensure that justice is done in APC. As a people we want the right thing to be done to strengthen the party,” he said.
On his part, leader of the APC in the area, Legborsi Nwidadah urged the group not to be tired because the movement is going to succeed. He said they are happy to be associated with senator Abe.
