National Assembly, Magnus Ngei Abe has dissociated himself from the
adoption of the candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) by the
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
Abe said the APC under the Peter Odike led leadership is neither in
alliance with the AAC nor any other political party in the state and urged
his supporters to vote for candidates of their choice in Saturday’s
Governorship and State House of Assembly general elections in the State.
He said the APC’s national leadership has not issued any directive to its
members in Rivers State to form an alliance with or join any political
party in the state ahead of the elections.
The Senator in a statement, he personally signed expressed regrets that
the APC as a political party would not be on the ballot in view of the
extant Supreme Court judgment on the Rivers APC, describing the apex court
as the final hope of every oppressed Nigerian.
Abe stated that the Supreme Court had fixed its appeal for hearing on the
14th of March because Amaechi’s group had written a petition against the
sitting panel of the Court and there was no time to constitute a fresh
panel to hear the case before the elections.
The statement reads, “Yesterday, I was briefed by our legal team, that the
Supreme Court of Nigeria fixed our appeal for hearing on the 14th of
March, 2019, because the Amaechi’s group had written a petition against
the sitting panel of the Court and there was no time to constitute a fresh
panel to hear the case before the elections.
“Every effort made by our legal team to get a date for hearing before the
elections tomorrow was unsuccessful. As a lawyer, I understand the
position of the Supreme Court, and I urge all Rivers people who hoped and
prayed for a different outcome to respect and honour the position of the
Court.
“The Supreme Court is the final hope of every oppressed Nigerian and the
only true rock on which our democracy can rest. With that position of the
Court, the APC as a political party will not be on the ballot for
tomorrow’s elections for Governorship and the House of Assembly.
“The only moral justification for the Amaechi faction’s petition to block
the urgent hearing of our appeal and allow the APC to have candidates in
this election is to further justify the narrative that we stopped the
candidature of Tonye Cole and others.
“This narrative is, of course, false to our knowledge and to most
Nigerians who followed events in Rivers State objectively.
“The candidature of Cole and others was deliberately built on a foundation
of disobedience to Court orders and orchestrated violence against the
courts.
“These were actions taken by the APC leadership in Rivers State despite
our warnings and appeals, that these actions were clear pathways to
political disaster.
“Having successfully blocked our quest for justice and redemption for the
APC, the same leadership has gone ahead to form an alliance with another
political party the AAC, as I write I have not received or seen any
statement from the national headquarters of our party directing our
members in Rivers State to join or participate in any alliance with
another political party in Rivers State.
“Indeed the national leadership of the AAC has come out publicly to
dissociate itself from the alliance. On a personal note, I cannot
participate in the alliance, for the reason that myself and other leaders
of the APC in Rivers State considered as not loyal to the minister of
transportation were not consulted.
“I, therefore, support the position of the State Chairman of the party,
Prince Peter Odike that there is no alliance with AAC in Rivers State.
“The alliance is nothing other than another attempt to enforce Amaechi’s
right to pick a Governor for Rivers people that is loyal and answerable to
him alone.
“We urge all Rivers people, particularly members of the APC to reject it
and vote for candidates of their choice.
“After all is said and done, the only reason the AAC party candidates is
being supported by the Minister today is because he either left or
refused to join the APC, if he was a member of our party, the Minister
would rather destroy the party than support him.
“The reason for the fight in the APC is the absolute determination of the
Minister of Transportation not to consider any APC member for the
Governorship race on the platform of our party.
“We must all condemn the escalating violence in Rivers State; I appeal to
all politicians in Rivers State to conduct themselves in a manner that
acknowledges that no Rivers man has a greater claim to Rivers State than
another.
“In the present situation, the safety of voters cannot even be guaranteed;
neither will the results of the elections be acceptable to the broad
majority of our people if they are not allowed to freely exercise their
franchise without the fear violence.
“I thank the security agencies for their vigorous efforts at ensuring
peaceful atmosphere for elections in Rivers State but I must urge them to
act at all times in the best interests of our country and its citizens.
“Finally to my supporters, please keep faith, we started this journey with
nothing but our faith in God, if we lose our faith then we are left with
absolutely nothing.
“Our God has been faithful; we have never plotted evil, mobilized violence
or betrayed our principles in the quest for power.
“Every evil plot, every sponsored blackmail against us will not only fail
but will fail woefully and the truth will prevail. The God of justice will
definitely speak, and every other voice shall be silent,” Senator Abe
stated.