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The Senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, has said that time has come for members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State to sink their differences and allow peace to reign in the party.
Abe, who made the declaration while speaking at the commissioning of a factional APC secretariat in Port Harcourt, said the proper thing for members of the party to do is to look for ways of achieving peace within the party in the state.
“Let me say that time has come for us to make peace in the party. People should not see peace as defeat. Peace is what we need to move the party forward. Let me also say that sending people to come and shoot members of our party will not bring peace. Sending people to begin a campaign of calumny against members of the party will not bring peace.
“The proper thing for us to do is to begin to look for things that will bring us together. I want to say without fear or favour, we need a united APC in Rivers State. That is why this secretariat is open to every member of the party, who is desirous of victory for the party,” he said.
Abe who is a governorship aspirant of the APC, said “Nobody wants the present contraption, called a government to continue in our state. We want a change; we want true change and true progress. We want true prosperity. We can achieve that in an atmosphere of mutual respect not just for each other, but even for the opposition.
“We can achieve that in an atmosphere of peace that respects the rights of other people and be ready to accommodate the voices of dissent,” the senator said.
Abe noted that the new secretariat is open to all members of the APC in the state irrespective of affiliation.
“I thank all members of our great party, the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, particularly members of the State Executive Committee of our party, who had stood resolutely in ensuring that we gather here today.
“It is important that we remember that this executive of our party is the only executive of this party that was put together by all groups in the party. There is no group that did not participate in putting this executive together.
“The executive is therefore open to everybody in the party. This is the executive that was in place when the court gave the order that the party should return to status quo. It voided the congresses at that time.
“Let me say that, therefore, in view of the existing legal situation in the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, this is the only executive that has no legal impediment. It is therefore open to all members of this party and can serve every interest.
“I want to associate myself with them. I can say that I support them and I stand with them because this is the only executive that is open to everybody. This is the only secretariat where you do not have to preach any message of hate against any individual before you can enter.
“As long as you believe in APC, as long as you believe in Buhari and you know that Oshiomhole is our chairman, this secretariat is your own. You do not have to like Senator Abe before you can come here; you do not have to hate our leader, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi before you can come here. You do not have to hate anybody before you can come here. As far as you are a member of APC, you are welcome,” he noted.
In his address, acting factional chairman of APC in the state, Prince Peter Odike, urged all members of the party in the state to sink their differences and join hands to move the party forward.
Odike, who was represented by the party’s legal adviser, Chieme Chienweikpe, said unfortunate events in the last few months forced the party to relocate.
He said: “You are very much aware of the unfortunate events in the last two months which necessitated the relocation of the secretariat from Old GRA to where we are today.
“As we prepare to take off on this pedestal, I plead with us to sink our individual differences that tried to polarize our party in the past months,” Odike said.
