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… Seeks Party Cohesion
Factional gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe has said that the party has a chance of resolving its current crisis if stakeholders “appreciate the sacrifices made by members to build the party and show respect to one another.”
Abe, who is also the senator representing the Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, fielding questions during a Radio interview on Thursday in Port Harcourt, stressed the need for members of the party to be able to think and reason for themselves, saying it was time to act and save the state APC.
He described the situation the party in the state finds itself as a shame because some people mismanaged a situation that could have been better managed.
The senator said, “My own suggestion on the way forward is that I want to talk to our party members. I want people to be able to reason for themselves. Because we are now in a position where it is clear that one person cannot reason for all of us.
“We have to think for ourselves. We have to act to save our party. We have to understand how the party got to where it was. It was not by accident. It was by the deliberate actions of people who mismanaged a situation that could have been better managed. I believe that the reason people went to court is because they want justice.
“I think that as much as possible the party needs everybody. In this kind of situation that we have found ourselves, we simply have to accept the reality that where we are today as a political party is a disgrace.
“And that we can move ourselves out of this position; but we can only do that by people showing respect to one another and admitting the sacrifices that members of the APC have made for the party in Rivers State. Respecting the position of one another and then we can move forward.
“The problem the APC has found itself today is for the APC members. So I believe that the reason people went to court is because there is no justice. Without justice, there will be no peace. If we want the APC to move forward, grandstanding by anybody including myself will not save the party.
“I have heard Mr. Tonye Cole say the party can do without me. I refuse to respond to that because he does not understand what he is talking about. I think that as much as possible the party needs everybody.
“We need the minister of Transportation, we need me (Senator Abe), we need Elder Chidi Wiyoka, we need Hon. Asita, we need, Oji Ngofa, we need Tonye Cole. Even Dumo Lulu-Briggs that has left the party, we still need them. We should bring people together. That is what politicians do. That is what leaders do. And that is what we need to do so that Rivers State can claim its place in the national politics.
“The only way we can do that is to bring everybody together otherwise we all might be the losers. If we are working together, as difficult as our situation may look, if we approach it together even from within the court we can still get justice.
“I believe that different parties are free to continue their cases. Myself and those of us who did the direct primaries are still going to Appeal Court to take another look at the judgment of the High Court,” he stated.
Abe explained that the High Court judgment recognize the Peter Odike exco is the only legal exco in the state that is not affected by any legal quagmire.
Senator Abe added, “And the only legal thing done by the party was the direct primaries organized by the legitimate exco of the party under Odike. I believe that at this stage it is important that we come together and try to act as a party,” he said.
