Magnus Abe is a factional leader of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a former member of Senate. In this interview, he spoke on the recent Supreme Court judgement on the crisis rocking the Rivers APC, and the way forward for his faction. INIOBONG IWOK, who monitored the interview brings the excerpts.
What is your take on Northern leaders’ complaints about the state of the nation?
They should also take into cognisance that this government has done what the previous administration has not been able to do for this country. Economically, despite the pandemic that has devastated the economy across the word and the problem we had faced, the APC government has been able to manage the country to a point that we are able to meet our monthly obligation.
Remember that things got to a point where we could not even sell our oil; one remembers what happened in the previous government where corruption was the order of the day. The division in the country has been sponsored and supported by utterances by leaders across the country, but they should rather speak for the unity of the country. They should help in promoting the unity of the country by the way they speak rather than tearing it apart despite the effort of the present administration in making sure that Nigerians are together. Example is the building of the second Niger-Bridge which was never done by any other administration, the clean-up of Ogoni which the previous administration under a Niger-Delta president could not do.
I mean so many other things that the Federal Government is doing for Nigerians irrespective of their tribe or religion. But what has been promoted is the divisive comments of our leaders. I think our leaders need to work together for the unity of the country. We should not condemn everything because we don’t like the government, or want to bring down the political party.
Your faction’s agitation appears to have come to an end with the recent Supreme Court judgement; what lesson has this taught you?
First of all, I don’t think reactions to the Supreme Court ruling takes into cognisance of the history of the crisis. There have been series of judgments on this issue in the High Court, Court of Appeal, Federal High Court, and now again the Supreme Court. But we find out that whatever the Court says if the judgement does not suit what the party and its leadership want to hear they simply ignore it; they have never responded to any of those judgments. The Supreme Court ruled that the matter cannot be resolved by litigation and that it is the responsibility of political parties to resolve their differences among members. But we accept the decision of the Court in line with the spirit of what is best for the party. They have spoken severally on the matter and when it is against them they would say it is purchased. What we have done is to look at the future of our state and the situation facing us in the APC in Rivers, and we have come to the conclusion of getting justice for our members; it may not go like that.
So, we have accepted it is in the interest of Rivers people that this litigation be brought to an end. Instead, if the party is not ready to accommodate the feelings of our members we look for a political solution to these challenges. We are open to what the party decides to do in the originating issues that make this matter come up in the first place. You would recall that when these issues started it was about the party structure; members of the party who wanted to take part in congress paid money but they were unilaterally denied from taking part in the process.
They were removed from the party; there was imposition and other things which were not in line with the party’s constitution. So, the injustice that was meted out to them was upheld up to the Supreme Court; the party did nothing about it. When the Supreme Court is saying there is nothing we can do we quite agree with the Supreme Court. This matter cannot be resolved legally; it can only be resolved politically and we are open to any solution that takes into cognisance the sacrifices and suffering that members have put into getting their right.
But it does not look like some of the chieftains of the party that are loyal to you accept the development?
Well, the man that left came to office because of the judgment of the court; he tried to intervene in the crisis; he was actually a member of the minister’s faction; he was not part of us originally; so, his leaving is his personal decision. So, everybody knows that in this country every adult is free to associate as he likes. He took the decision of the Court that the party would not respond to the issue. But we took it as an opportunity for the party to put its house in order. So, we want to give peace a chance in the interest of the state and our members. So, when we left PDP, we left because we felt we did not want impunity that we wanted change, fairness and progress; that is what we are still saying.
What surprised me is that this thing sounds alien to some people in the APC. But this is the same song all of us were singing when we came together to form APC. I have said repeatedly that the APC is not just a political party, it is an idea for a better Nigeria and we must be prepared to work hard to make that idea of a better Nigeria possible. So, we are just doing our beat.
So, the decision to end the legal challenge is a fresh opportunity for the party to take a closer look at the challenges, and work toward a lasting solution in line with the ideas of the APC. That is where we are now and the way forward for the APC; I am not thinking of leaving the party.
I don’t think putting your house in order is a sign of weakness but an acknowledgment of practical reality that this issue cannot be solved by litigation. We have to look for solutions that accommodate the principles of the party for the members and desires for the future.
Does this make you close rank with Rotimi Amaechi?
There is no dispute between me and the minister; we are both members of the party.
What we are saying is that as members of the party, we have our rights and entitlements; if it is respected within the scheme of things the party can move forward; there is nowhere in a party where the politician must be a friend of everybody before the party can run its business; it is not run that way.
If any issue exists between us, that should be between us, which I am not aware of, but for the sake of the APC in Rivers and the people’s demands, we should work with everyone for the party to move forward.
Part of what has made the APC in Rivers attractive is because we have simply refused to do what every politician does. If there is a crisis, you pack your bags and move to another party; all that does not allow for our system to grow.
I think it is time for Nigeria to create a system that accommodates dissenting views, despite that everybody may not agree on the same issue and they move on at the same time. That is political maturity and that is what is demanded in Rivers State.
We are going to watch the party’s response to these issues, and if the response is in order we would find accommodation there and if not we would have the flexibility to think of measure for our members to achieve the thing that brought them into politics; that is; to find a Nigeria that is better and find a political party that can move the country forward.
Me and Amaechi do have political differences. He is the leader of the party in the state and we felt that as leader of the party he should lead the party; that all members who agree not with him should get justice; if that is done it would give space for the people who may not agree with me; that is how a party grows and able to overcome all opposition and get victory.
The party has constitutional leadership both state and nationally. So, what happens to the party at this level is the responsibility of all of us including the Minister. We have to look at the party and make it large enough to accommodate all other people.
Should the atmosphere not be conducive at the end of the day; would you consider leaving the APC?
As far as we are concerned, we are politicians. We should be able to create a platform that accommodates everybody who has contributed to the growth of APC in Rivers. I mean they deserve a right to be accommodated in the party and it is the responsibility of the leaders to make that possible.
