APC can’t win Rivers governorship with an ‘outsider’ – Abe

Magnus Abe, a former member of the National Assembly, stated on Thursday that the APC will lose the governorship race in Rivers State in 2023 if it nominates “an outsider” as its candidate.

Abe stated this at a meeting with party stakeholders in Port Harcourt for the launching of Bola Ahmed Tinubu Vanguard.

Abe, who represents Rivers South-East Senatorial District, stated that the APC would not accept a candidate for the election who was only accountable to one person.

Tonye Cole, a Lagos-based businessman, was chosen by certain party leaders to be the party’s standard bearer in the state in 2023.

However, Abe, a governorship aspirant, noted that many individuals in the state had previously worked and suffered for the APC, and that anyone who was “an outsider” could not expect to be accepted into its fold.

“We suffered teargas together, we suffered punishment together. We were ostracised together, we built this party together, but we have never gained anything because we did not win.

“We want to form a government in Rivers State. It will be an APC government because we are the APC members and we are running on the platform and the logo of the APC,” he stated.

Read also: Rivers APC unveils Tonye Cole as candidate ahead of governorship polls

In an earlier interview some weeks ago, Abe stated that he would back anyone who emerges as the APC’s gubernatorial candidate in the state after a free, fair, and equitable election, warning that anything less would be rejected.

“I have not said and I will not say that 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,” he said.