Tonye Cole Declares Interest In 2027 Governorship Race As INEC Begins Voter Register Cleanup
By Polycarp Nwaeke
Tonye Cole has signified his intention to contest in the 2027 general elections, having collected the expression of interest and nomination forms last week.
His decision to obtain the forms for the 2027 governorship race is based on assurances from the All Progressives Congress (APC) national leadership that all interested persons are free to contest and test their popularity within the party.
He emphasized that his decision is not, as some have suggested, a futile political move. Speaking to journalists, Cole also dismissed the idea that a single individual would determine who emerges as the party’s candidate in the state.
He maintained that if consensus is ever reached, it would reflect a collective agreement among all stakeholders.
“Tonye speaks: ‘The president, as a strong democrat, has always believed that we should be allowed to compete.
And so, here we are today—we have been given the assurance to go ahead and compete, and that everyone should align with whoever wins.
As a party, we try to have consensus, but consensus means people will sit down, discuss, and agree that one person will represent the interest of all. I don’t think it is one person’s decision.’”
Addressing the perception that he is only present in Rivers State during election periods, Cole disagreed with the claim.
He stated that he is well-exposed and educated, adding that such experience should be seen as an advantage rather than a drawback for the state.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Rivers State has commenced a process to verify and correct voter information. The exercise began on Thursday and will end next Tuesday.
According to a statement signed by the Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, Geraldine Ikele, members of the public can also report names of foreigners, underage individuals, or deceased persons wrongly included in the voters’ register. INEC has urged all eligible voters to participate at their local government offices to ensure a clean and credible voter register ahead of the 2027 elections.
