Former governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Abe, has said that all prominent politicians in the state were involved in anti-party activities during the 2023 general election.

This is as he accused politicians supporting Governor Siminalayi Fubara of doing so not out of love for the state but for their personal gains and to further their personal political ambitions, particularly to bring down the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.

Abe, who spoke at a New Year luncheon organised by Wike in Port Harcourt, said leaders and candidates of both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) worked against their respective presidential candidates and governorship candidates during the last general election.

He said: “In the last election, everyone in Rivers State did anti-party. With all due respect, I too did anti-party. I did not allow the SDP candidate to come and campaign here, and when he came to my house, I made it clear I was with Tinubu. Oga (Wike), you too did anti-party.

“You were very clear that you were with Tinubu, not the PDP presidential candidate. The current governor (Fubara) also did anti-party; he was with you and did not support the PDP presidential candidate.

“The PDP leaders supporting Fubara today didn’t support the PDP governorship candidate, Governor Fubara. They supported the APC candidate. Likewise, the APC leaders did not support their presidential candidate but backed the PDP presidential candidate.

“So, everyone did anti-party, but the only one people keep talking about is the one done by Nyesom Wike, and that’s because he succeeded, and others failed.”

Abe, who is also former Senator representing Rivers South-East senatorial district in the National Assembly, emphasised that the politicians backing Fubara were not doing so out of love for Rivers State or the governor but rather to use him as a tool to undermine Wike.

He said: “Nobody is with Governor Fubara because they love Rivers State or Governor Fubara. They are with him because they see him as a means to achieve their political goal — to bring down the FCT Minister.

“These politicians are pursuing their own interests. If tomorrow, you are no longer able to advance their agenda — to bring down Wike — they will abandon you and move on to someone else. My advice to you, sir, is to know that these people are not with you out of love for Rivers State. Those who truly love Rivers State will show it through their actions, not by plotting to bring down Wike.”

The Senator urged Rivers politicians to unite for the good of the state, advising Fubara to collaborate with true patriots before it’s too late to save the state from impending challenges.

He stated, “No governor can on his own declare the seats of legislators vacant. Work with other patriots to save the state.”