Senator Magnus Abe, the gubernatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 elections, has officially rejoined the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Senator Magnus Abe, who exited the party amidst the fervor of the 2023 political landscape, expressed his return to the APC as a commitment to supporting the commendable efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the nation.
The former senator assured of his commitment to mobilize his numerous supporters for the party in the state.
Earlier, Abe hinted at his return to the APC during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday.
‘Politically, I am heading back for the APC,’ he said.
It’s worth remembering that Abe, a close associate of President Bola Tinubu, contested the gubernatorial election in Rivers State on March 18 but was defeated by Siminalayi Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Additionally, Abe’s bid for the ministerial position representing Rivers was unsuccessful, as Tinubu chose Nyesom Wike, the immediate past governor, as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Read also: ‘I’m On My Way Back To APC’ – Magnus Abe Dumps SDP
The former lawmaker shared insights on the state’s crisis and the defection of 27 members from the Rivers State House of Assembly, leaving the PDP for the APC. This shift resulted from a conflict between Fubara and his predecessor, Wike.
Abe called for peace, saying even though it was agreed that the lawmakers remained in the APC temporarily, some ‘outside forces’ were contesting the defection in court.
He said, ‘The position of the lawmakers is being contested from different angles. Their former party, the PDP is contesting the position. The governor had agreed that they can stay in the APC at the present time.’
‘In terms of the agreement, I think their position is secured for now, but there are some outside forces who are not party to this agreement who will still contest that fact based on the constitutional provisions.’
‘This is not over yet. What we need in the state is peace and everybody has something they can do to contribute to give us peace in the state,’ he said.