2023: Former APC secretary, Akpanudoedehe enters Akwa Ibom governorship race, as Abe joins Rivers contest

Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers in Rivers, Chief Magnus Abe, has announced his intention to contest the governorship poll in the state.

This is also as the past Secretary of the defunct Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator John James Akpanudoedehe has joined the governorship race in Akwa Ibom.

Despite belonging to the same political platform in the state, the rivalry between Chief Abe and former governor of the state and serving Minister of Transportation, Chief Chibuike Amaechi has notched up with the latest move by Abe, who, Sunday, announced his interest to contest the Governorship election come 2023.

Abe’s declaration comes barely hours after Amaechi had convened a meeting of all 10 aspirants for the governorship ticket, as he sought for unity among them regardless of who emerges with the party ticket at the primaries.

Abe made the declaration on Easter Sunday during the inauguration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s BAT Vanguard for Ward 4, 5 and 6 in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State.

His declaration came about six days after a peace agreement was signed by ten governorship aspirants loyal to the Minister, who were mostly people from the riverine area of the state. The aspirants promised to collapse their structures to any one that the party chooses among them for the election.

However, Senator Abe said he would only support anyone who emerges APC gubernatorial candidate in the state under a free, fair and equitable contest and warned sternly that anything short of that would be resisted. “I have not said and I will not say that Sen Abe must be the candidate of APC in Rivers State.

“I have always said that if we have a fair, free, transparent, inclusive and equitable contest and somebody emerges from that process, as a democrat, I will support whoever emerges in that contest and the person will win.

“But if you go and cook up a process to exclude me, it will not work. They cannot decide for Rivers people, Rivers people will decide for themselves. We don’t need a riverine or upland candidate that is known to Ameachi. What we need is a Rivers candidate that is known by Rivers people with the capacity and integrity to deliver.

“That is why I Senator Magnus Ngei Abe will contest for the gubernatorial ticket of the APC in Rivers State. Let me advise the party, we have been through this road many times. We should not make the same mistake again. There should be an end to political rascality in Rivers State, we should not disregard the people and expect a good result”, he warned.

Remarking at the event, a former Attorney General of Rivers State during the administration of Governor Amaechi, Barr Worgu Boms, said that Abe remains the most qualified candidate for the job of a governor of Rivers state.

“APC will not exist in the state without Senator Magnus Abe”, said Boms, adding that the process for the emergence of the candidate in the primaries must not only be seen to be fair, it must be fair.

Meanwhile, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe has declared interest in the Akwa Ibom governorship seat.

He made his interest publicly known during a grand reception in Uyo, the State capital organised in his honour, Saturday.

“I want to accept your call. I hereby accept to run for the office of the governor of Akwa Ibom State.

“My focus will be how to deliver my people from poverty. I shall embark on a poverty alleviation program. N1m grants will be given to 1000 people in each local government area of the state.

“It is time to empower the people and not to continue to depend on stipends. We will make Akwa-Ibom the hub for technology,” Akpanudoedehe said.

Also speaking at the event, the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, represented by the APC National Vice Chairman, South-South, Chief Victor Giadom, said party members should reconcile and join hands to win the 2023 general election.

”With the crowd here today is clear proof that the APC here is viable and strong. Nobody can say we aren’t strong in Akwa-Ibom. Let us keep working together. We are close to the election and this isn’t time for us to fight ourselves but work together for the actualization of APC success in Akwa-Ibom. From the leaders I have seen here, the APC will bring victory to us

“Let us come together and face our common enemy. Let us work together so that we can bring victory. I will like to come back here with the APC sitting in the Government House. I urge you to go back to your respective units to bring victory to APC. We can deliver APC to Akwa-Ibom,” Giadom said.