The lawmaker representing Rivers South East in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Abe, has declared that nobody can deny him the right to contest for the governorship position of Rivers State.
Abe, who made this declaration during an interactive session with the coalition of youths in Port Harcourt on Monday, said only God had the power to stop him from contesting in the 2019 governorship election in the state.
The governorship aspirant, who was making a veiled reference to the immediate past governor of Rivers State and current Minister of Transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, maintained that he would continue to fight for his right.
He recalled how he supported Amaechi when the minister was “fighting for his right to become governor,” adding that nobody should call him a betrayer because he decided to run for the governorship position of Rivers State.
“I was a commissioner in Dr Peter Odili’s government, but I stood behind Amaechi; I argued with Dr Peter Odili on Amaechi’s behalf. Later, when I came to him (Odili) to apologise, he told me that there was no need to apologise and that he respected my decision to stand by my friend (Amaechi).
“Whoever God has chosen to be the governor of Rivers State will be governor and there is nothing Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi can do about it. When Amaechi fought for his right and took the PDP to court, I did not remember any place where Dr Odili called him a betrayer.
“I am fighting for my right; I want to be governor of this (Rivers) state and nobody can deny me the right to fight for my right. So, I continue to refer to Amaechi that he still remains the leader of my party in the state,” Abe said.
On the Ogoni clean-up, the lawmaker challenged anybody to prove that he had benefitted economically from the exercise.