1st May, 2023
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Magnus Abe, the governorship candidate of Social Democratic Party, SDP in the March 18 governorship election in Rivers took members of his party and supporters by surprise on Sunday with his announcement that he will withdraw the petition he has filed against declaration of Similaniyi Fubara as the winner of the poll.
Abe announced the decision in an address to his party members.
He hinged the decision on the need for him to be ‘pragmatic as a politician and for the general interest of the people and State”
“I Magnus Ngei Abe, will be withdrawing my petition from the Election Tribunal first for the interest of those who worked tirelessly within and outside for the sake of the party, and secondly for overall interest of the State,” the SDP governorship candidate said.
He further explained that the decision to withdraw the petition is to reduce the post-election bickering in River state.
Though he contested on the platform of SDP, Abe is an ally of President-Elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Indeed, Abe had defected to the APC the SDP after he lost the bid to get the governorship ticket of the party for the 2023 election.
The withdrawal of the petition came on the heels of recent visit of Governor Nyesom Wike to the President-Elect in Abuja.
Though a member of PDP, backed Tinubu in the presidential election and it was believed that he influenced the victory of the APC in the presidential election in Rivers.
Therefore, analysts believe that the President-Elect may have influenced the sudden withdrawal of petition challenging the victory of Fubara, the candidate backed by Governor Wike by Abe.
There are also speculations that it may be part of a deal by Abe to get appointment from the incoming Tinubu administration.
There are also speculations that Abe maybe on his way back to APC with the imminent ascension of Tinubu to the presidency.
PHOTO CAPTIONS
Senator Magnus Abe, Governorship candidate of SDP in Rivers withdraws petition at Election Tribunal against Governor-Elect Fubara.