By Precious Akutamadu/Janefrances Oraka

Port Harcourt, May 26, 2022

The Rivers chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) gave its governorship ticket to Mr. Tony Cole in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

Cole polled 986 votes to win the ticket at the party’s primary election, having defeated Mr. Ojukai Flagamakere, who placed second with 190 votes and Mr. Sukonte Davids who got 49 votes.

Mr. Larry Ode, the Returning Officer at the election declared Cole the winner and said other contestants, Mr. Michael West got 43 votes, while Mr. Benald Miku got two votes and Sen. Magnus Abe, one vote.

In his acceptance speech, Cole expressed gratitude to Mr. Chibuike Amaechi, the former Minister of Transportation, for believing that he had the capacity to give good governance to the people of Rivers.

He also thanked all the delegates who also believed in his capacity.

Cole called on Sen. Abe and other former aspirants to join hands and work with him to deliver Rivers to the APC at the 2023 general elections.

Earlier, Sen. Abe said he did not withdraw from the contest as earlier rumoured, but decided not to participate because the indirect primary election option chosen did not meet the standard of the process.

Meanwhile, Sen. Abe, has said he had not dropped his governorship ambition even as he did not participate in the party’s Thursday governorship primary.

He made the assertion while addressing journalists at Freedom House, Headquarters of his campaign organization in Port Harcourt, the State Capital.

He was reacting to some social media reports of his withdrawal from the party’s gubernatorial primaries held in Port Harcourt.

“I have received a lot of messages saying that I have withdrawn from the primaries of All Progressives Congress; that is not true.

“I have not withdrawn and I will not withdraw,” Abe told journalists on Thursday in Port Harcourt.

The APC chieftain, however, did not disclose if he would be joining another party or not.

‘’I, Sen. Magnus Ngei Abe, will be on that ballot and Rivers people will have the opportunity to choose who shall lead our dear state moving forward,” he added.

He, however, faulted the primaries being conducted by the party in the state, saying, ‘’it clearly does not meet that standard.

‘’Like I stated at the beginning of this whole thing when I declared, I will not accept the outcome of any process that is not just, fair, equitable and inclusive.

‘’For that reason why I decided not to participate, not to withdraw out of respect for the party, I want to say clearly that I will not accept the outcome neither will I be bound by it.’’

He described the party’s ongoing primaries as a charade, alleging that the process of choosing the delegates was not inclusive.

Abe reminded the people of the state of their responsibility of choosing who their governor would be during the general election next year.

He said that no one individual, however powerful, well connected and wealthy, would decide for the people of the state.

‘’You will have that opportunity to decide who our next governor will be and I, Magnus Abe, will be on the ballot,’’ he added.