The fragile peace and understanding that seem to be prevailing in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State appear threatened by the decision of ten governorship aspirants to adopt Arch. Tonye Cole as consensus candidate for contestants of riverine extraction in the party.
Already, tempers are flaring in the camps of the aspirants from the riverine area, since the news of the emergence of Cole broke out, with the aggrieved aspirants and their supporters questioning the rationale in taking such decision which they described as erratic, on behalf of all the aspirants.
A frontline governorship aspirant under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Hon. Tekena Iyagba has rejected the purported arrangement of the party which announced Architect Tonye Cole as consensus candidate of the APC for the 2023 General Elections.
In a press statement issued by his campaign team, Iyagba said he is very much in the race under the ticket of the APC and still canvassing for votes ahead of the party’s upcoming primaries.
In the statement which was signed by his Spokesperson, Deborah Agbalama, the aspirant added that he never at any point agreed in writing nor verbally, to a consensus as being circulated in a press release signed by George Tolofari who claimed to be the Co-ordinator of the Progressives Aspirants Forum.
The statement read: “We wish to state that his ambition is borne out of the conviction that it’s time to distinguish politics from governance and make Rivers State an urbanized and industrialized haven for residents and prospective investors.
“We appreciate the support so far and those who have reached out to us to be a part of his campaign train while urging them not to be dissuaded by these speculations”.
The statement stressed that the frontline guber aspirant consulted widely with his Wakrike people before embarking on the governorship race.
It added that as a bonafide Ijaw son and serious minded person who is known to keep to his promises, Hon. Iyagba could not have been party to such undemocratic decision as consensus.
