Tonye Cole, Magnus Abe Emerges as APC holds parallel primaries in Rivers

By Eric Olusesan

 

 

TWO candidates emerged winners of the parallel governorship primaries conducted by both factions of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State.

Tonye Cole came out victorious in the indirect governorship primary held in Port Harcourt on Sunday when he polled 3,329 votes while his closest rival,  Dr Dawari George, got 491 votes.

Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs came a distant third with 38 votes while Senator  Abe got 1 (one)  vote.

Eighteen of votes casted were declared void by the Jafar Isah-led Rivers Governorship Primary Committee.

However, it was a different story at the Direct primaries held by the APC faction loyal to Senator Abe, Abe was declared the winner of the Sunday’s primaried conducted in the three senatorial districts of Rivers State by the APC.

The returning officer, Dr Chigbo Sam Eligwe, made the announcement in a press conference at its Secretariat in Waterlines area of Port Harcourt on Sunday.

Abe  won with 144,929 votes followed by Dumo Lulu-Briggs who got 3,344, Dawari George getting 1,606 and Tonye Dele Cole 882 votes.

While the Flag Amachree Ojukaye led APC conducted an indirect primary on the Igboukwu field in D-Line, Port Harcourt, the Magnus Abe faction adopted the direct governorship primary across different local government areas of the state.

 

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Earlier in the day, there were three explosions near the APC secretariat  at Garrison about 12.30pm.

The third explosion scared supporters of the Amaechi-led APC as most of them rushed out of the venue to have a glimpse of what happened less than 50 metres away from the party secretariat.