Rivers elders reject Wike; beg Tinubu to appoint Sen. Abe as minister

The Coalition of Rivers State Leaders of Thoughts has called on President Bola Tinubu to appoint Sen. Magnus Abe as member of his cabinet.

This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the Convener of the coalition, Chief Sunnie Chukumele, and Secretary, Mr Josiah Onoriode, on Saturday in Abuja.

The statement from the group read in part: “We lend our voices and contribute to issues based on conviction. We also act as vanguards, engage in agenda setting, feedback, propagation and promotion of good governance.

“We have observed that Senator Magnus Ngei Abe has been suspiciously sidelined or pushed aside in the scheme of things in the political movement at the Presidential Villa.

“We want to put it on record that Sen. Abe single-handedly built the political structure for the promotion of Tinubu’s presidential ambition in Rivers State. He was castigated and vilified by people of the state who supported PDP.

“We know it as of the truth, that the faction of APC and indeed all those sympathizers who followed Senator Abe into SDP for his gubernatorial ambition and election voted Tinubu for President.”

The group explained that they also observed with utter dismay the sudden switch of interest of the former governor Nyesom Wike in the internal affairs of the APC, a party he fought against for over eight years.

They expressed dismay with Wike’s regular face at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, since Tinubu assumed office.

“This we are afraid are efforts geared to unduly influence the president by presenting himself as his main ally in Rivers.

“We believe that appointing Sen. Abe, whose profile is intimidating, into President Tinubu’s cabinet will also be a succour to the President’s original believers and followers in the state.

“We pray that Abe’s position as Tinubu’s first and main loyalist in Rivers should not be swapped or short-changed for another.