A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Senator Magnus Abe, on Wednesday, defended his decision to work with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Earlier, Abe, who contested the state governorship election on the platform of the Social Democratic Party in 2023 after losing out to Tony Cole for the party’s ticket, announced his reconciliation with Wike.

He also insisted that anybody he wanted to work with, he must reconcile with the person.

He said, “I’m comfortable working with Wike. I did everything to convince Wike as governor then, to work for Tinubu in Rivers State.

“Wike is my friend. Today, he is working in the APC government as a minister. We must work together.”

Meanwhile, the former lawmaker, speaking on a Channels TV programme, Politics Today on Wednesday night defended his actions.

Asked whether Wike has now become a member of the APC, Abe said, “Wike is a minister in the APC government and not a member of the APC.

“He is a minister in our government and we cannot with all proper sense of responsibility as a party ignore the president’s appointee from our own state, who is a minister in our government. It makes no sense.

“So, he does not have to be a member of the APC, but he is an influential figure in the APC government and it is in the interest of the party to work with him and we will do so in the party and nation’s interest and to be able to give our full support to the president (Bola Tinubu).

“He was not a member of the APC when he led the G-5 to support Tinubu’s presidency bid.

“The president didn’t stop him then that he is not a member of the APC so you cannot support me.

“If the president didn’t say that, we too, will not say that he is not an APC member and so we will not work with him.

“We are following the footsteps of our leader, therefore, we’ll work with him.”

He, earlier, from the same interview also spoke on the APC structure in the state.

“The politics of Rivers State, like we all know, for the past few years have been convoluted within the All Progressives Congress, and we’ve looked at the situation with the recent changes in the party.

“And the appointment of the Chairman caretaker committee in the state is necessary,” Abe said.