The senator representing Rivers East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Andrew Uchendu, has advised his Rivers South East counterpart, Senator Magnus Abe, to go back home and find a solution to his political problem. 

Uchendu, Acting Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Procurement, gave this advice yesterday in Abuja while reacting to a statement by Abe, that he (Uchendu) reneged on his promise to spend only one term in the Senate. 

He said: “I understand that my good friend, Senator Magnus Abe, made some remarks concerning me over the radio. It is regrettable and sad. 

“I think Abe is getting too desperate with his ambition. In the pursuit of his ambition which he is entitled to, he must learn not to be quarrelsome.

“As a candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2015 election in Rivers East Senatorial District, I pledged that I will run for only one term. One term is made up of four years. 

“Nigerians know that I never went into the Senate until the later part of 2017. I do not know whether one year and six months in Abe’s own arithmetic is four years? 

“I have always maintained that if my party says that I should run, I will run, and if they say that I should stop, I will stop. Mine is not a do or die thing. I have always been a team player and an establishment person. I obey the rules. 

“In the spirit of equity, my party has asked me to run again and I am running in due obedience to my party because one term in the Nigerian Constitution is four years.

“I was drafted into politics by Ogbakor Ikwerre Cultural Organization in 1994, and ever since, my party has consistently asked me to run various elections. My party always tells me to run because it believes that I am a credible candidate that can win elections. Election is about winning.”

The federal lawmaker said Abe’s political problem started in his home-town because he was not in touch with his people. 

“I am not Abe’s headache. His headache lies in his hometown. His people alleged that he is an ingrate and a serial betrayer. 

“He should find out why he was stoned in his own hometown during the anniversary of Ken Saro-Wiwa’s execution. Why was he stoned by his own people? That is a very serious matter. 

“Abe should look for the solution to his problem somewhere else because Andrew Uchendu is not his headache. He should find out what is going on in his hometown.

“When Abe met me sometime in 2014 to advise him on his governorship ambition, which he has severally acknowledged, I told him to go back home and make peace with his people. I think something is wrong somewhere. 

“I told him to build a solid home-base. He should start politics from his hometown. I started politics from my hometown, and I have built a solid home base.  

“His governorship ambition, which he is entitled to, seems to be driving him to desperation. Politics is a team thing but he decided not to be a team player. If that is his nature, I wish him luck,” Uchendu said. 

He noted that he has fulfilled the promise of effective representation which he made to his constituents before the 2015 election. 

“I assured my people that if I get to the Senate that I will speak for them. I told them that I will be the voice of the voiceless and oppressed people, and I have been doing that consistently. Go and check my records. That is representation. 

“George Sekibo was in the Senate for 10 good years, yet we never heard him say anything. He has ears, but people say that he never heard anything; he has eyes but he never saw anything; he has mouth but he never said anything. That is not representation.

“My people deserve nothing but effective representation, which is what I am giving to them. And that is why a huge number of them are asking me to run again,” Uchendu declared. 

Solomon Okocha 

Media Aide to Senator Andrew Uchendu 

Rivers East Senatorial District 

September 12, 2018″