Former Senator, Magnus Abe, has said the comment by Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, on the zoning of the Rivers governorship ticket was his personal opinion.
Abe’s spokesperson, Parry Benson, issued his reaction in a statement Wednesday night.
Abe told a gathering of All Progressives Congress (APC) faithful in Port Harcourt that Amaechi’s declaration was a Greek gift to the riverine people.
The ex-Rivers South-East representative described it as “a poisoned chalice bound to fail”.
The chieftain said zoning remains a process and that the Minister’s view was not the position of the majority of APC members.
“If you just stand and carry a microphone and begin to zone and unzoned, everybody knows what you are doing. And so long as it is singularly done, it will not work,” he said.
Abe noted that those in riverine areas are smarter than those “who are trying to use them”.
He said no tribe nor group can produce a Governor without cooperation and consultation with other groups.
“No one individual has such power and definitely, the former Governor (Amaechi) does not have that power,” he added.
Insisting that nobody can grow bigger than the people, Abe said Rivers State was the foundation of prominent indigenes.
He wondered why anyone would announce zoning without the election of Ward Chairmen, Ward officials, Local Government Area Chairmen, and State Chairman.
“Is that sensible political action? Will that aid the APC to win elections in the state?”, the APC stalwart quipped.
