Tonye Cole, the All Progressives Congress candidate in the 2023 Rivers governorship election, has expressed that the citizens of Rivers State are the true victims of the ongoing political turmoil in the region.
During an interview, Cole claimed that progress has come to a standstill due to the power struggle between current Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
Cole’s comments followed a recent Court of Appeal decision that upheld a Federal High Court ruling nullifying the presentation and approval of the 2024 budget for Rivers State.
He remarked, “Currently, the interests of the people of Rivers are not being considered in this political drama.
“If the welfare of Rivers residents were truly prioritized, we wouldn’t be facing the situation we are in now. This entire conflict is rooted in politics and involves a very small political elite.” He added, “At this moment, there is no development taking place. The ongoing political strife is impacting the ordinary citizen on the street.”
Cole described Fubara’s position as precarious, suggesting that it is undermining effective governance in the state. “The governor is in a very vulnerable political position. By reintroducing the budget to that assembly, it essentially acknowledges the assembly led by Martins Amaewhule as the legitimate one. “This implies that Fubara must now deal with the potential threat of impeachment.
“In Rivers State, we have a governor from the PDP, an assembly that, as per the court ruling, is APC, and a local government structure that is under APP. Thus, we are witnessing a scenario where three different parties are vying for control of the state.”
