Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, the senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District, has described his victory at the polls as the triumph of democracy “against dictatorship perpetuated by Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.”
Speaking to newsmen at the National Assembly complex shortly after he was sworn-in on Thursday, Abe said the governor had been dictating the outcome of the election by organised rigging, stressing that what helped was adequate security which gave the electorate the liberty to vote for a candidate of their choice.
He said the same governor is also threatening democracy by insisting that APC legislators would not be sworn-in.
“As we speak now after the election, the government of Rivers State under the leadership of Nyesom Wike is already threatening that members of the House of Assembly elected on the platform of APC will not be sworn-in or allowed to participate in the activities of the Rivers State House of Assembly. I think actions like this are more dangerous for democracy than whatever we may be saying on television,” Abe said.
He enjoined Nigerians to disregard the media propaganda machine of the governor that gave the impression that his election and that of other APC candidates who won were as a result of show of security displayed by the Federal Government.
He said such was far from the truth as their intention was to ensure that the popular will did not prevail through snatching of ballot boxes, attack on electoral officials and intimidation of voters.
According to him, “If you listened to the radio and watched television in the past few days, you will get the impression that what happened in Rivers state was that security agencies came into the state and by force of arms overthrew the democratic process.
This is far from the truth. What happened in Rivers State was that without the presence of the security agencies, it would have been near impossible for INEC to conduct anything close to an election in Rivers State. I think that Rivers State has gone through enough trauma and that it is time for us as leaders to put the entire nasty experience of the election behind us. It is time for us to look for a way however difficult to forgive one another and allow the interest of the state to take pre eminence over our personal and individual differences.”
Abe thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Senators, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation, APC family and the good people of Rivers South East Senatorial District for their support.
