Rerun: Senator Abe wins Rivers South East

Race back to Senate has been titanic struggle—ABE

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Rivers State, has declared Senator Magnus Ngei Abe winner of the South East Senatorial District in last Saturday December 10 rescheduled rerun election in the state.

Announcing the results this evening, the INEC Returning Officer for the Rivers South East Senatorial District election, Prof. Onuekwusi Gideon Chinedum, said Magnus Abe who contested under the umbrella of the All Progressives Congress, APC, polled a total of 125,938 votes while, Olaka Nwogu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, scored 25,394 votes.

Professor Chinedum also stated that Mr. Kingsley Onyekwere of the Labour Party, LP, scored 549, Mr. Comrade Oke Brown of the NNPP scored 46, while Mr. Brown Elfreda of the UDP garnered 99 votes respectively.

According to Prof. Chinedum ” Magnus Abe of the APC having certified the requirement of the law and scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”

In his acceptance speech after the announcement of the result, Senator Abe said that the race back to the Senate has been a titanic struggle and a very difficult two years for Rivers people and for all involved.

The elated Senator said: “My victory in this election is a reward for faithfulness. I have been faithful to my party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). I have been faithful to my people, the people of the Rivers South East Senatorial District and I have been faithful to my leaders and I think God in his infinite mercies has rewarded me with this unprecedented victory. There is no victor, no vanquish.

“I want to thank my friend and brother, Distinguished Senator Olaka Nwogu for his very kind and peaceful words, which he has expressed to the people of this state.

“I also want to use this opportunity to extend a hand of friendship to the executive Governor of Rivers State, Barrister Nyesom Wike, and to say to him that he had promised that there was nothing personal in this contest and he has said that if I win he will congratulate me. The only barometer for measuring success in an election in this country is the declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the commission has declared me the winner, I want to call on the governor to keep his words and send me his letter and words of congratulation because I have won,” he stated.

The Senator said that Rivers State had suffered enough and that it was time for them to bring the contest to an end.

Senator Abe continued: “I want to thank my leaders, President Muhammadu Buhari, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, my wife, my family and most importantly, the people of Rivers South East Senatorial District. You have spoken and you have spoken loud and clear. We should respect your views. We should work together to make this district a better place for Nigerians to live.”

He also thanked his colleagues in the Senate for “their kind words, friendship and support and I look forward to joining them in the red chamber as soon as possible.”