Politics
Rivers APC Gubernatorial crisis: Senator Abe kicks
… Tonye Cole may be qualified, lacks requisite APC criteria to be flag bearer—Senator Abe
… National APC chooses authentic Rivers APC factional Chairman, rejects Abe faction
…. Tonye Cole resigns as CEO Sahara Group of Companies to contest
As endorsement of Tonye Dele Cole, as the preferred Governorship candidate for the Rivers APC continues to generate mixed reactions, Senator Magnus Abe, a governorship Aspirant has kicked against it saying that it was done without any known party criteria of no consequence.
Senator Abe, who represents the Rivers South East made this declaration over the weekend in Eleme, in Eleme local Government area while opening a branch of his campaign office.
The Senator who has fallen out of favour with the leader of party in the state, Chibuike Amaechi and Minister of Transportation resorted to pidgin English while addressing his supporters said ”If someone leaders gathered together in Lagos to choose a person who will govern Lagos, with that there is no problem, but if they met in Lagos to choose a person who will govern Rivers State, that we will not agree”.
He further said that “if some APC leaders chose candidate in Lagos; that one is for Lagos. Other leaders will choose theirs for Rivers”.
However, observers of Rivers Politics now believe that the Senator Abe’s setting up a parallel secretariat in Port-Harcourt may have been rejected by the the national leadership of the party as the latest official correspondence from the national secretariat of the party refused to recognize.
For instance, the letter of invitation made available to our Correspondent in Port-Harcourt, for the just concluded APC NEC meeting, dated 30th August 2018, from the national Chairman of APC, Mr. Adams Oshiomole, and signed by Hon. Mai Mala Buni, National Secretary was specifically addressed to the State Chairman to Chief Ojukaye Flag Amachree and not Prince Peter Odike, the factional Chairman of Abe’s faction.
Abe is arguing that Tonye Dele Cole may be qualified to be favoured like every other person but that he does not meet the needed criteria.
“Qualification is the one you hold that says you can be aspire to be Governor but but when you want to choose among people that have qualification, you must take the person that has desired criteria. Part of the criteria is those who suffered for the party and several contributions to the building of the APC in Rivers.
Meanwhile, Tonye Cole has resigned from Sahara Group, to go into active Politics. The Chief Executive Officer of Sahara Group resigned from the management of the indigenous oil firm, to contest the Rivers State governorship election in 2019.
In a two-page statement, the company restated its apolitical stand, stressing that in line with the group’s corporate governance policy, it neither “sponsors nor backs any political party or actor in all of the markets it operates including Nigeria.
The statement came on the heels of media reports that Cole had already been endorsed as the preferred candidate of the ruling All Progressives Party, (APC) in Rivers State in the 2019 governorship election.
The statement said: “The Sahara Group wishes to state for the record that as a non-political and non-partisan group, it is not affiliated to any political party in any country we operate in and does not engage in Nigerian politics. Cole’s decision to participate in active politics is his individual preference and choice to which he is entitled.
“In accordance to Sahara Group’s Corporate Governance Charter and International best practice which prohibits any of our key Management or Board members from partaking in active politics, promoting or supporting any particular political organization or ideology, Cole has resigned all his board appointments and day to day responsibilities for the Sahara Group companies and its affiliates with immediate effect.”
Stakeholders of the party who said they were part of Tonye Dele Cole’s endorsement and not Amaechi alone are swelling by the day.
Prince Tonye Princewill, former Governorship candidate of Labour party, 2015, Dr Dawari George, former member of House of Representatives, Chief Dumo-Lulu Briggs, former PDP Governorship Aspirant in 2015, Dr. Dakuku Peterside APC governorship candidate in 2015 and others.
READ ALSO: Rivers 2019 Governorship Update: Rivers APC Leader Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi Picks Tonye Cole
On his part, Governor Nyesom Wike has vowed not to allow Tonye Cole defeat him come 2019 because according to him that will amount to handing over the resources of the state to two business partners–Amaechi and Tonye Cole.
