Port Harcourt—The choice of Tonye Cole as the consensus governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has triggered another round of resentment.
Senator Magnus Abe, a governorship aspirant and major stakeholder has rejected Cole as the consensus candidate.
He had earlier warned that he will never support any process that does not conform to democratic tenets.
Kennedy Friday, one of his aides, said in several Facebook posts: “On Direct Primaries,We Stand.”
However, another aspirant, Dr. Sokonte Davis, in a press statement he personally signed wholeheartedly supported the decision of the party.
His press statement reads:
“Dearly beloved, Party men and women, Rivers people, Kalabari people, indeed last night, sensitive decisions were made for those of us in our Party who subscribe to the leadership of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi CON in the state.
“These decisions, among others, brought my dear brother Pastor Arc. Tonye Cole to the fore in the forthcoming Gubernatorial Primaries of our Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“God makes His own thing beautiful in His own time. I have always lived to give thanks in all situations. As a child of God, my word will forever remain my bond. We must come to agree that no two persons can occupy a seat at the same time. On this note, I fully support Pastor Arc. Tonye Cole in the forthcoming Gubernatorial Primaries of APC.
“To some, Tonye may not be the best, to some others he might also not be the desired but I bet you, a Tonye Cole shall be far better than what Gov. Wike or the opposition parties will present to Rivers People for the Brick House for the 2023 Governorship election.
“As for me, when I say ”Amaechi Leads, Sokonte follows”, I mean it with every ounce of my body and with all sincerity. Till God speaks otherwise to me, Ameachi is and remains my leader.
“I hereby use this medium to call on my colleagues, Party leaders, Party faithfuls and Rivers People to channel our all to achieve the victory Rivers People desire. Now is the time to come together and salvage Rivers State from the manifest malfeasance in governance and State administration.”
The statement called on those who disagree with the emergence of Cole as the party’s consensus candidate to contest but do so with decorum.
