Senator Magnus Abe is the flagbearer of the Social Democratic Party SDP, in Rivers State. Before getting the ticket, he had boasted many times, that he would be on the ballot. And with the ticket now safely in his back pocket, he is sure to contest against other contenders for the seat of governor of Rivers State.
But he said in this interview which was conducted by Port Harcourt Telegraph newspaper, that he was on a mission to change things because the people are angry over the state of affairs in the state. TNN got their permission to run excerpts of the interview.
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You repeatedly said that you will be on the ballot. Listening to you, many were wondering what was giving you the courage to say so. Now that you are a candidate, what does this victory mean to you?
First of all, I don’t see this as a personal victory. I see it as a victory for democracy. In a democracy, the most important thing is people, as individuals, should have the opportunity to express themselves – their visions, their aspirations and their hopes. That’s the hallmark of democracy. And then the people as a collective, should also have the opportunity to make choices; chose between different paths and choose a direction that is convenient, comfortable and acceptable to the majority, if you don’t blend these two effectively, then we don’t have a democracy.
So, in this victory of the SDP giving us the opportunity to participate and present our own ideas, vision, to the collectivity, I see victory not just for myself but for the Rivers electorate. That is what I see and that’s my joy.
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Given the realization of this aspiration that is pro-people from your point of view, what will be your initial step? What should we be expecting from you, going forward?
Now that I am a candidate, I ought to be careful what I say, so I am not seen as campaigning. But I think that the truth of the matter is that in the coming days, we will have opportunities to share the output of our interaction with Rivers people across board. What we tried to do with the Project SMA was to distil from the people what their own dreams and expectations are within the collective and then to use that as a foundation for what we will present to them. So, in the coming days, the output of that interaction is going to show because this ultimately is about Rivers State. And Rivers State, yes is a state, but you are Rivers State because the state makes progress when the individuals make progress.
The society is wealthy when individuals within the society are wealthy; the state is rich when its people are rich; the State is happy when its people are happy.
The state can’t be happy when over 46 per cent of its population is unemployed; the State can’t be happy when over 36 per cent of her children are technically out of school, that can’t be a happy society. So, the whole project is how we get all these people to also get a sense of satisfaction, well-being and happiness within their own life time. People should not only be happy in heaven, they should also get some joy here on earth, that’s what government should try to do for them, or do with them and not for them.
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Looking at developments in the country, particularly at the level of INEC, many are saying that INEC is beginning to post what would appear to be transparent results. People are saying INEC has also improved on its ability to use technology. As a citizen, how do you react to these claims?
To be very honest with you, but for my confidence and my faith in INEC, I will not do what I am doing. And but for the confidence and faith of most Nigerians in the systems in INEC, nobody would even believe that the people would have a choice in who becomes their leader.
Today, Nigerians all across this country believe that their votes will count. And that ultimately, it is not what the government says, but what they say that will count. And that is why you see people are so excited, they are able to make different choices that before they would not have dared to make. So, I think that, whether we like it or not, if we are to say which is the most improved agency or organization within the Nigerian state today, I think that most people would say INEC. And that is what gives hope to the future of this country because without a robust electoral system, faith in our democracy will die overnight. So, for me, I have every confidence in INEC. I have every faith in the ability of INEC to deliver a transparent result.
