•SDP candidate gets political ICON of the year award
A political Pressure group in Rivers State, “Ogoni Liberation Initiative”(OLI), has indicated interest to support the governorship aspiration of Senator Magnus Abe of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), in the next year’s election.
The group gave the hint during an award it organised in his(Abe), honour yesterday at Bori, Khana Local Government Area , with the tag: “Ogoni Arise”.
The Leader of OLI, Dr. Douglas Fabeke noted that Abe has what it takes to turn around the state and Ogoni people around for good.
Fabeke noted that upon this realisation, the group decided to join forces with SDP and Magnus Abe support groups to ensure Ogoni occupies the Brick House, in 2023.
He said: “We have been watching your profile and have seen you as a father and a son that we can be proud of. I am under threat of attack daily because I speak the truth.
“We have over 25,000 membership across the six kingdoms of Ogoni and we have keenly followed your political profile.
“I want to also let you know that you will be the next governor of Rivers State. God is going to empower you to put away the evils committed against the Ogoni people .
“I have always stood for what I believe and what I’m fighting for, and I think that with your intimidating political profile and the way you have fought, we need to identify with you and join you to fight for the success of your governorship ambition and with God on our side, we shall win.
“ I know you are going to be the governor of Rivers State.
“The mandate God has given to you is to see how you can liberate this land so that industries can come in.
“Moreso, now that our eyes are focused on our believe, we have a man who is ready to stand and if he is ready to stand, we must take a step and change the stories and that is why we are here.
“We have decided to take a step and follow you, I’m not a party man, I’m doing the mandate of liberation. When the time for party comes, we will give what belongs to Caesar to Caesar.”
He explained that they were out to identify with Senator Abe’s aspiration and for the political liberation of the Ogoni people.
“We are going to fight and bring back the glory of Ogoni land. I know that if you are there you will not allow anybody to touch Fabeke because until Ogoni becomes Dubai I will not stop.
“Today we recognize you as the political icon of the year.”he said.
Responding to the award, Abe assured the people that if elected governor in 2023, his administration would take decisions that would be in the best interest of the people of the state.
He said: “Let me say this for everybody to hear; we need to build our state. We can’t build the state by trying to keep any group down.
“When you try to keep anybody down, you must stay on the group to hold the other person down and so you too you are down.
“But, when you are struggling to lift people up, you stand and as you stand, you help to lift others, so you too are lifted in the process of raising people.
“What Rivers State needs is a community where we will lift one another, where we will break down all our boundaries, where we will take decisions in the best interest of the state, not for any personal purposes or interest.”