Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the Rivers South East Senatorial District re-run election, has enjoined Ogoni people not to allow party differences and affiliation to affect their affinity and unity.

Speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the 50th birthday celebration of Senator Lee Maeba at his home town, Luuwa in Khana Local government area, Senator Abe said that political differences are mere approaches of addressing the developmental challenges of the people and should not be allowed to cause disaffection among Ogoni brothers and sisters.

He said that all leaders in Ogoni, irrespective of their political affiliations, should be able to come together and discuss issues that affect the progress of the people without rancour, adding that such would accelerate the development of Ogoni.

“Like I have always said politics should be about the people and it should not be about enmity. It should not be that because we are not in the same party, we cannot be friends and cannot relate as brothers,” he said.

The former Secretary to the Rivers State Government stated that he was in Luuwa to felicitate with Senator Maeba on his birthday and to wish him well, pointing that politics should not prevent him from sharing joy or sorrow with a fellow compatriot, brother and friend.

Senator Abe said that if other politicians viewed politics like he did, there would not be the need for violence and killing in the name of politics.

He noted that the Ogoni need people like him to represent them in order to de-escalate violence among the people and encourage peace, love and unity in Ogoni land.

“It is for the electorate to reward the kind of behaviour they want to see. If they want to see politicians who behave like me, they should make sure that politicians who behave like me were elected,” he said.

•Photo shows Senator Magnus Abe.