Magnus Abe blames PDP leaders for Ogoni crisis

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC and candidate of the party for Rivers Southeast Senatorial District in the March 19 rerun, Senator Magnus Abe, Friday blamed leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the crisis in Ogoni land.

Senator Abe, who made the accusation in Port Harcourt, said it was important that he clarifies what transpired in the of the military to arrest an ex-militant leader, Solomon Ndigbara, aka Osama bin Laden, at Yeghe-Ogoni in Gokana Local Government Area, which led to the hoodlums burning down his Senatorial Liaison Office in Bori-Ogoni, Khana LGA.

“I am happy that Governor Nyesom Wike, as the Chief Security Officer (CSO) knew and approved the military operations in Yeghe, Ogoniland. There is nothing wrong if he, as the CSO and after appraising the situation in Ogoni, approves that the military should raid the area of criminal elements and maybe recovers arms.

Read also: 5 suspected kidnappers, robbers gunned down in Rivers

“The person who stands to be blamed squarely for the crisis is Solomon Ndigbara and his group, who chose to engage the military in a shootout. Information available to me points to the fact that there was a deliberate attempt by the PDP to incite the people against my person and the APC.

According to him, the leaders of PDP know that “we are innocent, but in their desperate attempt to exploit the situation for their political gain, they want to hang it on us. It is sad that this type of politics is being played by people who hold responsible positions”.

Continuing, Abe said it was unfortunate that Governor Nyesom Wike visited the home of ex-militant leader, Solomon Ndigbara, in Yeghe community, but did not deem it fit to visit his burnt senatorial liaison office building at Bori, a distance of less than two kilometres away from Yeghe.

“Yet, this is the CSO, who visited areas affected by the crisis. As leaders, we should be sincere to ourselves and show good examples to our followers.”

Appealing to Ogoni people to eschew violence, lawlessness and ensure that they maintain peace, also admonished the people of Rivers State not to reduce the military operations in Ogoni to politics.

Governor Wike had, during his visit to Yeghe and Bori on Thursday, blamed APC leaders people behind the violence and killings in Ogoni.

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