Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A former representative of Rivers East at the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Abe has emerged the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Rivers state for the 2023 election.

Abe emerged the party candidate at the conclusion of its substitution primary held in Port Harcourt, the state capital yesterday

THISDAY observed that the election was supervised by a senior officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Pastor Emmanuel Isong and other representatives from the Department of State Security Service (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force.

At the end of the exercise, observers from the aforementioned agencies described the election as the fairest primaries ever held in the state.

Chairman of SDP Substitution Electoral Committee, Alhaji Muhammed Ibrahim, who declared Abe as the winner of the election having pulled 30 votes, advised members of the party to go out and get their permanent voters card, PVC.

Ibrahim said: “Today, we have elected a credible candidate for the governorship election in Rivers state. Let me thank all of you for conducting yourselves peacefully and for electing a very popular candidate in the person of distinguished Senator Magnus Abe as the governorship candidate of the party for Rivers state.

“For those of you who are yet to register and collect your PVCs, please ensure that you do so before the expiration of the deadline as slated by INEC. I am very confident that with a quality candidate like Senator Magnus Abe, SDP will become the ruling party in Rivers state come 2023,” he explained.

In his solidarity message, the former member of the House of Representatives and a leader of Rivers State chapter of SDP, Elder Chidi Wihioka thanked INEC for its effort in ensuring that elections in Nigeria were free, fair and credible.

He noted that with what transpired in the Osun state governorship election recently, Nigerians could cast their votes and be confident that such a vote would count. “I was an INEC electoral Commissioner some years ago. I can tell you that INEC is doing a good job right now.

“INEC has now given Nigerians a high hope that their votes will count going forward. Thuggery during elections will now become a thing of the past. With Magnus Abe as the governorship candidate of our great party, SDP, there is no doubt that we will have a nice outing in 2023.”

On his part, the Rivers State Chairman of SDP, Hon. Solsuema Osaro said Abe’s candidature would make SDP a winning party in the state in 2023. “I am very confident that with Abe as our candidate, Rivers state belongs to the SDP”.

A retired permanent secretary from the Rivers state civil service, Princess Patricia Ogbonna, was equally elected as the running mate to Senator Abe.