Rivers defection: Magnus Abe back to APC

The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the 2023 general elections, Senator Magnus Abe, has returned to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Abe, who left the party in the heat of 2023 politics, said he is back with the APC to enhance the good things President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is doing in the country.

The former senator promised to mobilize his teeming supporters for the party in the state.

Abe had earlier hinted of his return to the APC in an interview with Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday.

“Politically, I am heading back for the APC,” he said.

Recall that Abe, an ally of President Bola Tinubu, ran for governorship in Rivers State on March 18 but lost to Siminalayi Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He also failed to emerge as minister representing Rivers as Tinubu instead opted for Nyesom Wike, the immediate past governor as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The former lawmaker also weighed in on the crisis that rocked the state as well as the defection of the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from the PDP to the APC following a rift 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.