Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, who represented the Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the 9th National Assembly, has announced his return to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Abe, who was the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 elections, also announced his reconciliation with his friend and Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike.
In the announcement, which was contained in a press statement signed by his media aide Parry Benson and circulated on Thursday, the former Secretary of the Rivers State Government, SSG, said that he remained a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State as that was his home.
The statement quoted Abe as saying in a post on his Facebook account titled “I Have Made Peace With The Minister of FCT and Former Governor of Rivers State“ that his decision for true reconciliation would enable the APC in Rivers State to benefit from the process of peaceful reunification and reintegration.
“I have made peace with the Honourable Minister of the FCT and former Governor of Rivers State. I accompanied him to Chief Tony Okocha’s Thanksgiving to show my commitment to ending the rifts in our party.”
“I want to publicly thank the Minister; he could have behaved like other politicians, made peace with me, and still encouraged me, Tony, and others to continue fighting (you bring Magnus in the morning through one door, then bring Tony in the evening through the other door). But his style is direct, truthful, and sincere, and it will create a united team.
“The disagreements within are over and gone for good because the oxygen for conflict has been extinguished.
“It may take a little while, but the end result is that all those with us who sincerely wish us well will go with us and tow the path of unity because we all know that it is the right way to go,” the statement read in part.
The Senator thanked Chief Tony Okocha for the warm reception accorded him, reiterating, “My home is in the APC; therefore, let’s come together as everyone will benefit from us working together.”.
He emphasised the need to face the economy and support President Bola Tinubu’s government to succeed for the benefit of all Nigerians.
Senator Abe, Chief Okocha, and former Governor of Rivers State, Wike, have been longtime political friends dating back to their days in Rotimi Amaechi’s administration.
But political interests in the last general elections brought them to loggerheads and made them seek the fulfilment of their ambitions under different political platforms.
While Abe took his governorship ambitions to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Okocha remained in the All Progressives Congress (APC), leading the campaign for the Presidency of Bola Tinubu, while Wike stayed with the PDP while giving it a shot at the Presidency.
But he and Wike attending Chief Okocha’s Thanksgiving last Sunday pointed to a possible reconciliation, which Abe’s announcement just confirmed.
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