The Senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Magnus Abe, has stated that the Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) lost the gubernatorial candidate in the 2019 general election as a result of leadership impunity.
Recalling experiences of his travails in an interview with DAILY POST in Abuja as Rivers governorship aspirant, the lawmaker maintained that the ruling party would be stronger if it allows its members’ participation instead of foisting decision on them.
Abe said he had no regrets over the conflict that stopped the APC in Rivers from fielding the gubernatorial candidate, adding that he will challenge the party if the same scenario plays out again.
“I have no regrets whatsoever for what I did. I am very proud of what I did and if it happens all over again, I will do exactly what I did and I think the party would be stronger if it is run according to its rules; according to its constitution.
“If the members are dignified and respected, it makes the party stronger.
“A party candidate is what makes the party. Having candidate is not the most important in a party. Having a candidate is part of what makes the party. A political party is about ideology about making lives better. You can have candidates that do not contribute to making lives better.”
The lawmaker believes that it was a price that Rivers APC had to pay for allowing godfatherism influence the choice of its gubernatorial candidates, noting that the outster would build the party in future.
“Yes, it is unfortunate that we ended not having candidates in Rivers State, it is the price we had to pay in order to build a party that respects the rule of law.
“We must be ready to build democracy and in doing that. People must take the bull by the horn. Let me sound a warning not just to political parties, but to dramatis personae in the parties that they will continue to lose elections if they don’t allow their members to contribute.
“People must be allowed to contribute. Nigeria is changing and all of us must be ready to change.
“I still insist that loyalty to the party is not loyalty to the Chairman nor loyalty to the leader; it’s loyalty to the rules of the part and that is what party supremacy means.
There has been no love lost between Senator Abe and his erstwhile political godfathers and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi over his gubernatorial ambition.
