Security presence made the election possible - Magnus Abe

Sen. Magnus Abe, newly sworn in lawmaker, representing Rivers South East Senatorial District, has said that the heavy deployment of security agencies accounted for the success of the Rivers Legislative re-run election.

The second term senator said this while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.

He said were it not for the resolve of the security agencies, it would have been impossible for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the election.

“It has been a long road, a difficult journey and it was made more difficult by the attitude, approach and actions of certain persons who would not accept that democracy is a game and that it has rules.

“If you listen to radio and watch television over the past few days, you will get the impression that security agencies and by force of arms overthrew the democratic process,’’ he said.

Abe expressed concern that there were indications that some Rivers State House of Assembly members elected on the platform of All Progressives Congress(APC) in the election would not be sworn in.

“The government of Rivers State under the leadership of Governor Nyesom Wike, is already threatening that APC members will not be sworn in or not be allowed to participate in the activities of the Assembly.

“I think actions like this are more dangerous for democracy. However, Nigeria is more important than anyone of us.

“ I think that Rivers State has gone through enough traumas and it is time for us however difficult it may be to forgive one another and allow the interest of the state to take pre-eminence.

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“Democracy is not just in what we say it is more in what we do,’’ he said.

The lawmaker pledged to carry out his duties in the National Assembly to entrench the principles of democracy.