Port Harcourt—One of the Rivers state governorship aspirants under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tonye Princewill, has urged leaders and monarchs from the Ijaw ethnic nationality in the state to intervene in the alleged feud between the state Governor, Nyesom Wike, and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
Princewill also called on other governorship aspirants and those seeking elective offices under the Rivers APC platform to unite and be peaceful ahead of the primary election.
According to reports by Punch newspaper, Princewill spoke during a meeting with the Rivers Ijaw monarchs and aspirants at the Ijaw National Congress, Eastern Zone Secretariat in Port Harcourt.
It was reported that Princewill, one of the ten APC aspirants who recently signed a peace pact to uphold peace and fair play said that unity among all the aspirants was paramount to the party and the state in general.
He said it was only on the platform of unity that the APC would become stronger in the state and wrest power from the PDP.
He said the call for unity among the aspirants was a necessity that must not be undermined.
Princewill said, “We the aspirants in the APC have resolved to support whosoever that will emerge at the primaries or by consensus, if my brother Ebenezer emerges, I will wholeheartedly support him, and I also believe that he will support me if I emerge.”
He said that his intention to contest for the number one position in the state was to offer good governance to the Rivers people.
“I decided to contest not because I wanted to be Governor, but because I wanted my People to be governed. I couldn’t understand why our fathers were disrespected and our youths disregarded,” Princewill stated.
He charged the elders to reach out to the two leaders of the two main political parties who are currently going around the country in consultation with various stakeholders in Nigeria for their 2023 presidential ambitions.
Princewill said, “Unity is important, but Strategy is also important. Today, we have two leaders in the APC and PDP, one is led by Chief Barr (Nyesom) Wike, and the other is led by Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaechi in Rivers State. Are our Ijaw kings, chiefs, and elders talking to them? Are they interfacing?”
The meeting which was attended by the aspirants and some prominent Ijaw personalities also had in attendance the Ijaw National Congress (INC) President worldwide, Prof. Benjamin Okaba.