Abe Withdraws Petition from Election Tribunal, Faults FG’s Move to Postpone Fuel Subsidy Removal

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the just concluded elections in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Abe has disclosed that he has decided to withdraw the petition he filed at the Election Petition Tribunal challenging the outcome of the poll, for peace, progress and unity of the state.
This was just as the SDP gubernatorial candidate in the March 18 election, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to settle the issue of removal of subsidy on petroleum products before exiting office on May 29, 2023.

Speaking on the withdrawal of petition against the 2023 governorship election in Rivers State, while addressing his members at his campaign office yesterday, in Port Harcourt, Abe said: “We must learn as politicians to be pragmatic and to always put interest of Rivers State and the people above every other interest.
“Haven made a very clear review of the situation in the state and what is happening in the state, I have decided in consultation with the party both at national and the state, that I Senator Magnus Ngei Abe will withdraw my petition at the election petition tribunal in the interest of those that have suffered and laboured so much in this politics in support of our course and more importantly, in the interest of our state, so that we begin to reduce  the confusion in the state in order to give all of us an opportunity to move forward with our lives.

“I want to say that for me, the progress, prosperity, peace, unity of our state has always been and will remain paramount to me at all times. We cannot at any stage of our politics put our own interest against the interest of those who have sacrificed so much to follow us. We cannot at any stage of our politics put what we consider our ego above every other consideration in our state,” he stressed.

The National Economic Council (NEC) last Thursday advised the federal government to suspend the planned removal of subsidy on petrol.
Reacting on the development, Abe stressed the need for Buhari to conclude with issues bothering on the petrol subsidy before the end of his tenure, adding that postponing the controversial policy was not in the interest of the larger Nigerians.

Abe, said he was among those who were in support of petrol subsidy removal during the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government, and was happy when Buhari assured to settle the matter before exiting office.
“I will use this opportunity to appeal to the President on the promise he made to the Nigerian people, which is the settlement of this subsidy matter.
“It is one the things he should also look into before May 29, because everybody will also recollect that I was at the centre of that controversy when the whole subsidy thing blew up under the President Goodluck Jonathan’s government. And one of the key points we made to Nigerians was that the problem will be solved.

“It is unfortunate that now towards the end of the administration, everybody has come to realise that this country can no longer afford to pay fathom subsidies for things that brings no benefits to the Nigerian people.
“I was very happy when I saw the President taking steps to conclude every controversy before the end of his administration by introducing improved wages for civil servants as part of the process of taking out the fuel subsidy.

“It is therefore with shock that I read somewhere that the decision of the fuel subsidy removal has been postponed to June and I think it is not in the interest of the Nigerian people that we should continue to toy with this matter, especially since we have already taken steps to bring it to a rightful conclusion”.
Abe, however, thanked Buhari for keeping to promise he made to the Ogoni people in the cleanup of the degraded environment.

He said: “It will be appropriate for me to use this opportunity to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for keeping his promise to the Ogoni people and delivering on that key commitment to ensure that the Ogoni cleanup is realised.
“I am not just speaking on the cleanup issue, but that the Ogoni people get something for their years of suffering and years of contribution to the Nigerian economy. I believe that the project unveiled by Mr. President is a clear manifestation of those promises that he made to us before his election in 2015.”

Abe who pleaded with his supporters and other members of the party who may be approaching the court to seek justice for what they suffered during the elections in the state, stressed that for the sake of peace and unity of Rivers, they should sheath their swords.