Architect Tonye Cole has been adopted by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State to be the party’s standard-bearer in the 2023 governorship election in the state.
The leaders and stakeholders of the party took the decision after hours of deliberation by the committee set up by their leader and minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
According to the attendance sighted by JOURNALIST101, 10 aspirants including Dakuku Peterside were present at the meeting.
A well-respected member of the party, who was privy to the development, disclosed to VANGUARD that the meeting was held in Abuja and that all those aspiring for the governorship ticket of the party from the riverine extraction were present.
It is worthy to mention that Amaechi and other key stakeholders of the party had placed preference on a riverine governorship candidate.
They insist that it amounts to equity and fairness for a riverine Ijaw to be given the opportunity for the job, a decision that runs contrary to the aspiration of Sen. Magnus Abe, on the APC platform.
A member of the committee and a former Senator; Andrew Uchendu said the decision was after a thorough work by a 19-member committee set up by their leader; Rotimi Amaechi.
“Last night, our Leader CRA set up a committee of Elders of about 19 members to meet immediately and decide on the Governorship candidate of our Party. We all met for about 2hours and unanimously chose Tonye Cole. The Committee immediately communicated this choice to our leader.
“I was a member of that Committee and therefore invite all of you as party faithfuls to accept this decision and communicate same to all our members. It is in our overall interest to do so. Let us get down to work for all our candidates.”
