Magnus Abe dumps SDP for APC

Sen.Magnus Abe, a former senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District,said that he is returning to his former party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to support President Bola Tinubu's developmental agenda.

Abe, who was the former governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general elections, disclosed this on Wednesday during a stakeholder meeting held in Port Harcourt with some members of the SDP who are loyal to him.

He said that his return to the APC would enable him to work together with other well-meaning Nigerians to support the administration of President Tinubu and to enable Rivers people to be part of the development at the centre.

Abe stated that the responsibility of engendering peace in the party is that all members of the party, regardless of their positions, should be ready to work for the progress of the party.

He said that the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the party, Mr. Tony Okocha, had been a member of his team when he was in APC, and as the National Working Committee decided he would become the Chairman, so be it.

According to Abe, we are not joining the party because of an individual, but they are in the party as the founding members of the party and grassroots supporters of President Tinubu.

“We believe that it is proper that we are in the party supporting President Tinubu’s developmental agenda.

“Everybody in the party should have learned one thing or two about how we can make the party work; we are coming in with an open mind, ready to work with everybody within the party.

“We believe that everybody with a sincere interest in the progress of the party should be ready to join,” Abe said.

He stressed his readiness to work with other actors in the party as long as they were ready to work on common grounds and goals.

In a reaction, the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the APC in Rivers, Tony Okocha, welcomed Sen. Abe to the party, saying that “what makes a party thick is not a single individual but a whole lot of people.”.

According to Okocha, the beauty of politics is the more the merrier, noting that Abe was counted as the founder of APC in Rivers.

“I can say that without any fear or contradiction, but whatever happened is not new; we are on a known part against an intransigent government or leadership of the party, but I didn’t think that the proper thing is to leave the party.

“But he may have left to pursue his visions under SDP; if he is beating for a retreat, we welcome him with our whole hearts, and we will work together with him.

"I do not think that in this present-day politics, one head is bigger than 10, every individual aged 18 is eligible to vote, and I am not willing to sacrifice one person for 10, but if any person beats to return genuinely not to destroy the party, we accept,” Okocha said.