Magnus Abe, a former senator representing Rivers South-East senatorial district, says he is returning to his former party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to support President Bola Tinubu’s developmental agenda.
Mr Abe, the former governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general elections, disclosed this on Wednesday during a stakeholder meeting held in Port Harcourt with some SDP members loyal to him.
He said his return to the APC would enable him to work with other well-meaning Nigerians to support Mr Tinubu’s administration and enable Rivers people to be part of the development at the centre.
Mr Abe stated that the responsibility of engendering peace in the party is that all party members, regardless of their positions, should be ready to work for the party’s progress.
He said the chairman of the party’s caretaker committee, Tony Okocha, had been a member of his team when he was in APC, and as the party by the National Working Committee decided he becomes the chairman, so be it.
According to Mr Abe, we are not joining the party because of an individual but because they are in the party as the founding members and grassroots supporters of Mr Tinubu.
“We believe that it is proper that we are in the party supporting President Tinubu’s developmental agenda. Everybody in the party should have learnt one thing or two as how we can make the party work. We are coming in with open-mindedness, ready to work with everybody within the party.
“We believe that everybody with a sincere interest in the progress of the party should be ready to join,” Mr Abe said.
He stressed his readiness to work with other actors in the party as long as they were ready to work with common grounds and goals.
Mr Okocha welcomed back Mr Abe to the party.
“What makes a party thick is not a single individual but a whole lot of people,” stated Mr Okocha.
According to Mr Okocha, the beauty of politics is the more the merrier, noting that Abe was counted as the founding of APC in Rivers.
“I can say that without any fear or contradiction, but whatever happened is not new; we are on known part against an intransigent government or leadership of the party, but I didn’t think that the proper thing is to leave the party.
“But he may have left to pursue his visions under SDP. If he is beating for a retreat, we welcome him with our whole chest and we will work together with him. I do not think that in this present-day politics, one head is bigger than 10. Every individual from 18 years is eligible to vote, and I am not willing to sacrifice one person for 10. But if any person beating to return genuinely not to destroy the party, we accept.”
(NAN)
