The much-expected repeat of elections into 37 seats in Rivers State holdsthis Saturday (March 19, 2016), and the camp of Magnus Abe, senator from the All Progressives Congress (APC) is already feeling victories, sure that this time around, celebration may overcome their camp. Abe’s opponent is Olaka Nwogu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) whose 2015 victory was annulled by the Court of Appeal on grounds of violence and gross irregularity. The rerun involves 22 out of 32 seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly, 12 seats in the Fed House of Reps and the entire three senatorial seats.
Now, as the people of Rivers South-East senatorial constituency covering all of Ogoni council areas plus Oyigbo, Opobo/Nkoro and Abual/Odual LGAs, get set to cast their votes, the Abe camp is banking on key indicators to excel. The only thing they ask for is sanity and security to enable voters exercise their rights. This wish may be granted, following the intensified public utterances of the new governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, who is ‘campaigning’ vigorously for free and fair elections, though his detractors warn that he is up to something different.
Should the federal government respond to the Wike demand and send adequate security forces to control the environment and keep hoodlums at bay as well as frown at INEC officials enough, the real qualities and messages of both Abe and Nwogu may come clear and decide how the people may vote.
The Abe camp believes that now that the FG is bent of doing what is right especially in terms of creating sanity; that the voters would surely consider experience, the candidate’s track record/education, and the right political party that would help solve the numerous problems of the constituency.
Security:
What marred the 2015 exercise were massive shooting and brazen thump-printing plus alleged writing of results in private homes. The Abe camp released photos and videos of persons seen thump-printing even days after the elections. There were rumours of voting taking place a day before the election at some spots in the constituency. It was believed that this time around, the faking of electoral officers, the massive collaboration with police and the free hand to hoodlums to kill and hijack things, plus the open power to write and rewrite results would not be there.
This could be why Barry Benson, Abe’s media aide, said the senator has continued to distance himself from one particular ex-militant still regarded as a kingpin in the underworld. Abe said he did not need such characters to win election. In fact, at a breakfast chat, the senator dared anyone who would say he had seen him at any meeting to discuss violence to win election to step out and disgrace him. None has dared him. He said he depends on logic and debates (not guns and goons) to knock out any opponent in any free and fair election.
Experience & education
Abe was born on May 24, 1965 in Bera town in Gokana LGA of Rivers State to an Anglican cleric and was seen as an instant bright star in the constellation. A natural quick learner, Abe flew through primary and secondary schools where his father’s calling took him to, until he obtained his WASCE at Akpor Grammar School in Ozuoba, Rivers State.
A year later, after graduating from secondary school, in 1982, he was admitted into the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Nkpolu Oroworukwo to read Law. In 1986 he graduated with an LLB (Hons) degree in Law and proceeded to the Nigerian Law School (NLS) Victoria Island Lagos, where after the mandatory one year programme, he was called to bar.
Abe excelled in law practice before he joined the All People’s Party now All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and won election into the Rivers State House of Assembly where he was the minority leader (always with majority opinion, commanding influence). Thus, the majority party, the PDP, wooed him into the Peter Odili administration as Commissioner of Information, narrowly missing the position of Secretary to the State Government (SSG), a position he bounced back to occupy in 2007 when his friend and political ally, Chibuike Amaechi became governor.
Benson said the senator is a man easily liked and deeply trusted by close associates. Thus, Abe was chosen by his the PDP caucus to run for the senate. He swept the polls with over 150,000 against less than 35,000 for his closest challenger. But in 2015 which his aides described as the year of electoral madness, crazy figures flew about until the Court nullified them.
Achievements:
Abe posted impressive records in the senate despite being a new comer. His opinion even before he stepped into the senate made him a resource bank and soon, emerged as Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream); Member, Senate Committee, Capital Market; Member, Senate Committee, INEC; Member, Senate Committee on National ID and National Population; Member, Senate Committee on National Security and Intelligence; Member, Senate Committee, MDGs; and Chairman, Senate Joint Committee to investigate the Administration of the fuel subsidy scheme. In fact, Abe initiated the Local Refineries (licensing) Bill which is aimed at enhancing the construction of local refineries by private companies and individuals.
Abe delved straight into constituency development from both official and his private funds. In education, he executed over 10 projects including procurement of JAMB forms for 1200 candidates, Law Schools scholarships, other scholarships, N3m for girl-child education, and did great by working with the RSSDA to train youths in skills at highly advanced levels.
He executed over 10 water projects in his senatorial constituency, executed electricity projects in over six communities where one such project gulped over N21million. Apart from three key housing projects in Gokana, he embarked upon nine other special projects especially jetties several communities, something that is highly regarded in the creeks.
Abe’s highest impact was felt in empowerment schemes on thousands of women in his constituency including market women who got loans to improve their businesses and grow bigger. He also attended to their health through health schemes. Part of his constituent y project saw to the construction of an administrative block in the Law faculty of his alma mater university (UST). Abe worked for peace and carved huge relationship with non-indigenes, according to his image makers.
Right political party
At the breakfast meeting with journalists, Abe stated why his people would reason well and vote for him. When PDP was the influential party, he was in the senate and did many things for his people. Now that he is in the APC that controls the centre, he says his people would need him because of their numerous challenges that need federal attention such as environment, roads, and empowerment.
He said: “Please support me and nobody else. Interest of Rivers State is better protected by me. I will be the only returning senator from the 7th to the 8th Assembly in the South-South and South-East, to be the only ranking senator, to be member the ruling party, member of the ruling caucus, end member of the president’s party caucus, etc. Common sense/wisdom and interest of Rivers people dictate that you send someone like me. I am the only one in same party with President Buhari. We should not miss this point and this opportunity.”
He went on: “I believe I will win if it is issue-based campaigns instead of violence-based one. Let it be about issues, about Rivers State, about peace, about progress and about prosperity. The first job opportunity I got was given to a man from Andoni. Let others point to what they did. I gave several scholarship slots across the senatorial zone, I gave out micro-finance loans to market women, paid JAMB, WAEC and Law School fees to many students to alleviate burdens on their parents, some of them widows, etc. I am in politics to build, not to de-build (destroy).”
Sane Voting
Abe wants nothing but free and fair elections and sane voting. That is why he has taken swipes at the state governor who seemed to campaign more in Ogoni than in his (governor’s) senatorial zone. Wike went to Ogoni and begged them to reject Abe, and also to do anything to stop Abe. The senator cried out against the governor, wondering why an Ikwerre-born governor would be desperate in an Ogoni election. He said; “That thing your mother told you, my mother told me too”. After this, the Ogoni crisis started with the burning of Abe’s secretariat. The army moved in when the police could not save the situation. Now, both camps are accusing each of militarising Ogoni. Abe has rejected efforts to rope him in, saying it was the governor that approved the coming of soldiers whereas he (Abe) as a common citizen, had no right or power to invite the army. He rather sees a script to blackmail the army and give room to hoodlums to do again what they allegedly did in the last exercise.
Conclusion:
Abe is vehement on need for sane voting and issue-based campaigns. He thinks this is his strong asset but those wheeling the elections to violence may be playing to his weak area. With the FG providing sanity as expected by the watching world this time around, the Abe camp is upbeat, expecting that the Ogoni would vote massively for their ‘true son’ and create a pathway to the APC-led FG so that the UNEP Report can be fully implemented and other development issues can be addressed.
Ignatius Chukwu
