The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has threatened to expose what the party calls the underbelly of one of the former friends of Governor Nyesom Wike.
The party was reacting to what it felt were the ceaseless attacks by Magnus Abe, a former senator that represented Rivers East Senatorial Constituency.
Abe fell out with his main political godfather, former state governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, in the All Progressives Congress (APC) for years and fought his former party fiercely in the courts until June 2022 when he joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as its governorship candidate.
This seemed to have ended his romance with Wike who was believed to be backing him to fight Amaechi. Abe and his team ensured that his party, the APC, did not contest any position in the 2019 elections and this made Wike’s PDP to cruise to total victory in all slots in the state.
Speculations were rife that Wike would compensate Abe in 2023 probably with governorship slot which was Abe main quest, but this did not happen as Wike kept it in his party and gave it to Sim Fubara from Opobo. This may have infuriated Abe who now sojourned alone until he came distant third in the governorship election on March 18, 2023.
Read also: Just before we protest the outcome of #NigeriaDecides2023
The PDP has accused him of berating his former friend, Wike, on the outcome of the election, and thus threatened to expose him. Many understand this to mean that what Abe must have done to undo Amaechi would be exposed.
In a statement, Ogbonna Nwuke, the director of publicity of the PDP/Sim Fubara Campaign Council, threatened the Ogoni-born Abe thus: “Elections are over. Abe should conduct himself as a decent gentleman. Abe should not force the PDP to expose his underbelly. Abe would not like what will happen if he continues with his evil ways.”
The statement had first accused Abe of simply trying to be a “show boy” whose pride had been hurt by the people. “Our dear Senator was disowned in field because governance is not a matter of show boyship.”
According to Nwuke, Abe is a spent force. “Abe knows the truth that he is not admitting. Even if elections were to be held 100 times in Rivers State, Abe will lose a 100 times to the PDP.
“We do not intend to hold brief either for law enforcement agents or INEC, but our take is, Abe is fabricating so many tactless lies which cannot be substantiated. How many lies can a man tell himself?”
Nwuke analysed that the APC that Abe broke away from had been fragmented by the exit of many top personalities. He thus wondered how Abe was sure of beating the PDP and Wike. “Abe and others like him should be good sportsmen. They have lost, they have lost. As good sportsmen, who understand what it is to cultivate urbane democratic manners, we implore them to congratulate the eventual winner of the election and move on.”
He hit Abe harder: “The Senator who was rejected by his own people in Gokana should quietly go into his room. Abe knows what to do. He should go to the Tribunal and state his case.
“In case Abe does not remember, let us remind him. Election security is planned by INEC and the security agencies. State governors do not control police. They do not control the army and other security apparatuses.
“Abe should stop deceiving Nigerians by saying Wike did not provide adequate security. Governors have consistently told Nigerians they are chief security officers in name.
“Abe who audaciously infiltrated INEC’s security network to obtain high level security cards which he gave to his thugs and supporters to pose as security agents should tell Nigerians why those characters where declared wanted.”
