Senator Magnus Abe defied the consensus arrangement by Rotimi Amaechi’s faction of All Progressives Congress (APC) and purchased the Expression of Intent and Nomination forms for the governorship ticket.
The Amaechi-led faction had anointed Tonye Cole as the party’s consensus aspirant two weeks ago.
Flaunting his nomination form, Abe said Rivers people are more interested in effective governance that will return power to the people, rather than politics.
A statement by his media aide, Parry Beson, said Abe thanked Rivers people for their financial contributions to enable him to purchase the form.
The senator said: “I have already purchased my form to run for the primary election in our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and it will interest you to know that Rivers people contributed money to support me to get that form.
“I think that with that kind of background, the party members across the state have realised that I’m one of their surest best to be able to cross that bridge when we actually get there.
“Secondly, let me also say that as far as I know what Rivers people are interested in at this point in time is not so much of politics, but effective governance.”
Abe recalled that since Rivers State was created in 1967, no Ogoni son or daughter had been a governor, deputy governor, Speaker of the state House of Assembly or the chief judge, which according to him, could not have been a coincidence.