One of the foundation members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State and former Senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe has denied authoring a resignation letter which has been circulating on the social media.
Senator Abe who was guest on a TVC network programme on Wednesday, said it is no longer news that he had quit the APC for a very long time.
“It’s to your tent in Rivers State APC. Everybody knows I had long
left the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State. The Party does not have what it takes to win elections”, he told his interviewer, while denying authoring the resignation letter circulating online.
Abe said he could not have written such a ‘poorly crafted letter’, and addressed to party officers in Rivers State that he doesn’t know.
He said: “I don’t even know any of the APC officers in the State,
including my Ward officers.
How can you remain in that party? I can’t be part of the charade in APC in Rivers. I can’t be part of that type of charade”.
Senator Abe who is one-time member of the Rivers State House of Assembly as well as Secretary to the State Government (SSG) said the foundation of APC in Rivers State has collapsed, and that the party in the state held no strong political future.
“I have no stake in the Rivers State APC. People are leaving in droves, some are writing their resignation letters in their local
languages”, he said.
Senator Abe however assured that the APC Presidential Candidate; Ahmed Bola Tinubu would have more votes in Rivers State than the APC, adding that his focus is how to make Tinubu win the presidential election.
He also justified the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC, and appealed to Nigerians to look more on capacity and ability to deliver good governance, rather than focus on religion.
Recall that Senator Abe has been in long drawn faceoff with former Transportation Minister and leader of the party in the state, Rt. Hon Rotimi Amaechi over what could be seen as ideological differences. A soured relationship which eventually broke out, pitched Abe as Amaechi’s albatross, with most of the Transportation Minister’s decisions perceived as dictatorial.
The faceoff between the erstwhile friends triggered a crisis that reduced the APC in Rivers State into factions, with members pitching tents to their preferred leader.
The crisis crossed the Rubicon during the 2019 general election in the state as catalogue of cases in the court led to the delisting of all APC Candidates from the ballot, giving a smooth sail for all candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates who contested the election.
