…No standard bearer yet- Finebone
By: Felix Ikpotor
Reactions are still trailing the choice of Architect Tonye Cole as the consensus riverine candidate of the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.
This is even as a riverine aspirant from the Okrika-Ijaw extraction on the platform of the party, Tekena Iyagba has insisted that he remains in the race and dissociated himself from whatever agreement reached by other riverine aspirants.
Port Harcourt Spectator reports that 13 riverine aspirants of the parry had on April 11, 2022 signed an agreement to abide by whatever decision taken by the party.
Tonye Cole last Friday, was announced as the consensus candidate after nineteen elders of the party met in Abuja.
However, the declaration has not gone down well with some party faithful especially supporters of Dakuku Peterside and Ojukaye Flag-Amachree.
Also, Magnus Ngei Abe, a frontline aspirant on the platform of the party had rubbished the consensus arrangement, insisting that Rivers people must be given the chance to choose who will be their leaders.
Iyagba in a statement by his campaign office said he was not part of any consensus agreement and as such it’s not binding on him.
The statement reads, ” Our candidate is still in the governorship race under the All Progressives Congress and dud not at any point agree both in writing nor verbally to a consensus as being circulated in the press release signed by George Tolofari who claims to be the Coordinator of Progressives Aspirants Forum. To this end, our governorship aspirant is still proceeding to canvass for votes at the upcoming governorship primaries”.
The guber hopeful said he consulted widely with his Wakrike people before joining the race and as such cannot make such a decision to accept a consensus as he is known to be a serious minded person.
Meanwhile, publicity secretary of the Amaechi faction of the party, Chris Finebone have come out to debunk rumours that the party already has a standard bearer in the forthcoming election .
Finebone in a statement clarified that the consensus reached was only for riverine candidates of the party, stressing that there will be primaries for other persons interested in the race to vie for tickets.
“This is expected to clear all doubts and provide a clear summary of what happened.
Firstly, it must be stated that the leadership of Rivers State Chapter of APC consisting of 19 leaders met last Friday and chose a consensus aspirant of riverine extraction to contest the governorship primaries for the 2023 elections. The exercise took place in the absence of Honourable Minister for Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi who declined to participate in the process. After a thorough scrutiny of all the aspirants, Arc Tonye Cole was chosen as he scored the highest vote among the 12 aspirants that participated.
Secondly, for the avoidance of doubt, no standard bearer to fly the Party’s governorship flag in Rivers State has emerged as yet as such can only happen in accordance with party rules, regulations and the 2022 Electoral Act,” he stated.
