The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Sen. Magnus Abe has
declared that the continuous attacks on him and his supporters will not deter the party from campaigning in Rivers state for the 2023 general elections.
He made the declaration while addressing SDP stakeholders in Degema, the headquarters of Degema’s local government area the state.
He said; “Let me tell you, the young man who led some people to block the road, carrying guns against us on our way to Egberu, Oyigbo local government area the other day, that went and destroyed our banner in that community, we have his photograph when I was presenting him with a computer, a laptop in order to assist in his pursuit for a higher degree, I have told them to release the photograph”.
“If I were buying guns for people, a lot of people will have guns but I bought him a laptop but he chose to follow those that will give him a gun to pursue the man who gave him a laptop”.
He added; “My name is Magnus Ngei Abe, I am the reason they were shooting guns in Degema this morning(18/11/2022). They did not want you to see me; they did not want you to hear me, they did not want me to come here.
“But, I said even if it is just five persons that are here, as long as there is an atmosphere in which I can deliver my message peacefully, I will come and talk to those five persons
“I know that those ten or five persons will talk to another ten persons, and the ten persons will talk to another ten and the ten persons will talk to another ten and before you know it, the thing will become a flood everywhere.
“Nobody can stop an idea whose time has come. I want to say this, as I have said to some people when they carry guns and pursue you don’t respond to guns. We are going to contest this election and we will not shed the blood of any Rivers man or woman.
The SDP governorship candidate went further to say that the people of Rivers State will not choose slavery, suffering and hunger when they have the opportunity to choose progress, prosperity and enjoyment.
Abe said: “Is there anywhere they will put slavery, suffering, hunger on one side and then put progress, prosperity and enjoyment on another side and people will use their own hand to choose slavery, suffering and poverty? Will you do that? Will Rivers people do that? We will win the election.
“I hear that they have set up a task force to be tearing our posters, taskforce on poster destruction is now a means of empowerment but when you tear the posters that are on the road and are on the side and are on the wall, can you break into people’s minds and tear us out of their mind? We will win the election and they cannot stop us”.
Abe had earlier complained about orchestrated attacks by his supporters at different times and places in the state.
He catalogued some of the incidents thus; “First there was an incident in Khana Local Government Area when we went there to try to talk to some youth leaders and every effort was made in trying to sabotage that gathering, including trying to hire boys to come and disrupt that gathering, we ignored it and did not say anything in public.
“Sometimes after that, there was a church service in a Baptist church in Gokana to which I was invited and the moment they heard that I was coming they invaded the church, took out all the banners and posters, to disrupt a church programme meant to pray for candidates from Ogoni ahead of the next year’s elections, but because I was coming, thugs sponsored by the Local Government Chairman, as taskforce.
“Several persons who joined the SDP have been harassed in different ways, but we have held our peace, believing that we should not allow Rivers state to constantly be in the news for bad reasons.
“The former PDP counsellor from Ahoada West who joined the SDP has constantly been harassed and his life threatened, those are just a few of the several incidences of violence”.
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