Magnus Abe’s Unbent Resolve
Sen. Magnus Abe comes across as someone who understands politics like the back of his hand.
But his adventure in politics has not been particularly inspiring.
Strangely, almost all his moves to rise in the ladder of politics have been frustrated to the chagrin of his fans.
The Senator, it was also gathered, is now seeking to secure the topmost job of the state in 2019.
The former Commissioner has reportedly fallen out with his former boss, Rotimi Amaechi, Minister For Transportation, over the candidature of All Progressives Congress, APC, for the 2019 governorship election in Rivers State.
A source disclosed that the Senator has dared the Amaechi over his choice of Tonye Cole as the candidate for the APC ticket.
The crisis over the party ticket has made a faction led by Abe to organise a parallel primary election, which produced the trained lawyer as a candidate for the party.
Cole came out victorious in the indirect governorship primary held in Port Harcourt on Sunday, when he polled 3,329 votes, while his closest rival, Dr Dawari George, got 491 votes.
However, in a different election held in the state, Abe won with 144,929 votes; Dumo LuluBriggs had 3,344, Dawari George had 1,606 and Tonye Dele Cole also got 882 votes.
Our source disclosed that Abe had looked the APC chieftain in the eyes and vowed to fight this with anything that it takes.
“The former SSG is not taking this lightly. He has vowed to battle this with the last drop of his blood. He is ready to fight to the finish for his rights,” the source added.
Abe entered politics in 1999 when he was elected into the Rivers State House of Assembly, serving as a Minority Leader.
In 2003, he defected to the PDP; and from 2003 to 2007 he was Commissioner of Information in Rivers State in the administration of Governor Peter Odili.
When Amaechi became governor in May 2007, he was appointed as Secretary to the State Government.