The Board Chairman of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Magnus Abe, has reacted to critics after many concerned Ogoni residents berated him over his recent public support for the choice of Kingsley Chinda as the APC’s governorship flag bearer in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Abe had over the weekend declared during an event that the Ogoni people were going to vote for Kingsley Chinda as the next governor of Rivers State, saying “we the Ogonis are ok with OK.”
The remark did not go down well with a section of the Ogoni public and has since generated criticisms across social media against the former senator and Rivers State governorship candidate of the SDP in the 2023 general elections.
However, in a sharp response to the various dissenting voices, Abe has defended several major political decisions he has taken over the years, insisting that despite criticism and opposition from some Ogoni people, those decisions ultimately benefited Ogoniland.
Consequently, in a strongly worded political statement released on Monday, May 25, 2026, the former senator recounted key moments in his political journey, particularly his role in the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report on Ogoni, which he supported in his capacity as Secretary to the Rivers State Government under the administration of former Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
He lamented that though many Ogoni people accused him of betraying the region and secretly working to reopen oil production in Ogoniland, branding him “a vulture” or betrayer of Ogoni, the same people later celebrated when the Federal Government approved the implementation of the Ogoni cleanup project based on the UNEP report.
“When the same Ogoni people heard that one billion dollars had been voted for the Ogoni cleanup based on the UNEP study, they started celebrating, but nobody remembered the same man they insulted,” the statement said.
Abe also defended his support for President Tinubu, saying many Ogoni people initially opposed the decision but were now benefiting from major federal projects under the current administration.
“When we took the decision to support Tinubu, Ogoni people were abusing me and calling me names, but today Ogoni is benefitting tremendously from Tinubu’s government,” he said.
He acknowledged that his latest political position had again attracted criticism from a section of the Ogoni people but insisted that history would eventually justify his decisions.
“I have said it, and I stand by it. I will ensure it works, even beyond Ogoni,” the statement concluded,. “If you believe in a vision for greater Ogoni, please follow me.”