A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tonye Princewill has confirmed that Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, and other party leaders in Rivers have agreed that businessman, Tonye Cole, should get the party’s 2019 governorship ticket.
Amaechi in a statement at the weekend said he had the right to support any candidate.
The former Rivers Governor was said to have announced Cole at a meeting held in Lagos before flying out to China, ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari’s trip.
Amaechi reportedly picked Cole, ahead of other aspirants, including Senator Magnus Abe, Chief Dumo-Lulu Briggs, Director General of NIMASA, Dakuku Peterside and former Senior Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Bekingbo Dagogo-Jack.
At the meeting were Senator Andrew Uchendu, Senator Osi Ideozor, former Executive Director of NDDC, Henry Ogiri Peterside and Princewill.
Others were Lulu-Briggs, former Commissioner for Transport in Rivers state, George Tolofari, Sekonte Davies, Azubike Wanjoku among others.
Reacting, Princewill, in a Facebook post titled “Choice of Tonye Cole – Matters Arising”, shared details of how Cole emerged.
It read in part: “Being one of the few privileged to be in the room when the decision was taken, one would have expected me to speak a little sooner. After all, I have been known to shoot from the hip, speak my mind plus my thoughts on the decision were pretty clear, right from the moment it was made.
“I had repeatedly told my supporters and my associates, that my role in this process was to be a facilitator, to help the leader and his leaders achieve victory in 2019. I joined the APC to help ease Wike out of government house, not to run for the position of Governor.
“I was a witness to at least two caucus meetings chaired by HE Amaechi on the issue and several one on one meetings that spanned many months. Chief Dumo Lulu Briggs and Dr. Dakuku Peterside had put up a good case for their consideration, Engr. Bekinbo Dagogo Jack had also made himself available and to be honest, either of them could have done us proud if given the chance. But alas they weren’t. Amaechi’s preference, our preference rested on the shoulders of Tonye Cole.
“I say our preference because, it was not imposed on us. We all agreed. “Amaechi leads, We follow”. Not only when it suits us. It was not dependent on how he leads, neither was it dependent on where he leads. This was hard for me to swallow because I am used to being my own boss, being The Candidate, but I opted to be a team player by choice. So my word to my team is my bond. Good leaders must also be good followers.
“So Tonye Cole is my choice and I urge us all to support him. Why? Because it’s either him or Wike, he has a track record of success, not failure. He puts his friends above profits, he’s not materialistic and he represents a total departure from the status quo or business as usual. Let’s actually try something truly new. We may get different results.”
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