Rivers APC Crisis Heightens As Powerful Senator Dumps Party

• The ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) is not finding preparations rosy heading into the 2023 general elections
• Over the past few weeks, the party has been plagued with a series of crises including numerous defections
• Join the pack of those that have exited the party is a former lawmaker of the upper chamber of the national assembly, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe

A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Magnus Ngei Abe has resigned his membership from the ruling party, Punch reported.

The former lawmaker made his decision known on Wednesday, July 20 via a statement issued by his spokesperson, Parry Benson.

As gathered by Legit.ng, Senator Abe noted his undoubted loyalty to the party's presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that he will remain loyal and supportive of his course to becoming the president of Nigeria in 2023.

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He said:

“I have since left the APC in Rivers State, I am still part of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s family and has no issue with him whatsoever.”

However, reports have it that Senator Abe is in a heated rift with some of the APC big wigs in Rivers State.

Why Senator Abe must have exited APC

According to a recent report by Channels TV, Senator Abe prior to his resignation declared that he will not be supporting the candidacy of Mr Tonye Cole as the flag bearer of the party in the forthcoming Rivers State gubernatorial polls.

Senator Abe who is also nursing the ambition to succeed Governor Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said his reason for not supporting Mr Cole is based on the premise that he thinks he has not paid his dues politically.

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He described Mr Cole as one who has not served River State in any political capacity.

Senator Abe also noted that the APC governorship candidate is currently battling corruption allegations.

2023: APC suffers mass resignation of chieftains over Muslim-Muslim ticket

Similarly, the ruling party, APC was hit with a major blow after Tinubu announced Shettima as his preferred choice for the vice presidential slot.

Some of the party members across the federation were not pleased with the news.

This, in turn, led to a series of mass resignations from the party by some of the party's strong chieftains.

2023: Osinbajo clashes with APC, Tinubu over Muslim-Muslim ticket

Elsewhere, reports have it that Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo is not pleased with the Muslim-Muslim ticket arrangement.

It was gathered that Osinbajo engaged in a heated clash with the APC and Bola Tinubu.

Sources privy to the incident revealed that the vice president vehemently condemned the idea.

Source: Legit.ng