Former All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, has described the emergence of Governor Siminalayi Fubara as contentious from the beginning.
Cole said the political crisis that followed Fubara’s emergence and his subsequent face-off with his predecessor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, created serious challenges for governance in the state.
He made the remarks on Friday while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, where he also commented on Fubara’s reported return to Wike’s political camp and the future of Rivers politics, NEWSNGR reports.
Cole said he believed Fubara would have consulted his close allies before deciding on the political direction he has now taken.
“My assumption is that the governor would have gone with his own close allies, discussed with them, and said that this is the best way, that he has to move forward for the next six months or thereabouts of his administration. I would assume that’s what he did,” Cole said.
He, however, admitted that he was not part of the governor’s discussions and could not say exactly what informed his decision.
“But I am not in his chamber, so I wouldn’t know. But that’s what I would assume he would do,” he added.
According to Cole, having chosen to return to office and complete his tenure, Fubara must now prioritise governance and avoid returning to political battles.
“But the battle that was fought? Now, what do you do? Do you walk away? If he was going to walk away then, he should not have come back as governor,” he said.
“But having taken the responsibility to come and finish his term, then he has to finish it in the way that allows him to govern. He can’t go back into fighting.”
Cole said the controversy surrounding Fubara’s administration began with the manner in which he emerged as governor and continued throughout his political conflict with Wike.
He argued that the prolonged disagreement between the governor and his predecessor had negatively affected the state.
“First of all, the method with which he came into power in the first instance was contentious. Throughout the period when he was there, the contention between himself and his predecessor had a lot of problems for Rivers State,” Cole said.
According to him, the political crisis was not what the people of Rivers State wanted, as residents expected better governance and a different approach to leadership.
“So that could not have been the wishes of the people. People looked for something different; they didn’t get it,” he added.
The APC chieftain, however, expressed hope that the current political situation could provide an opportunity for Rivers State to establish a new system of governance.
Cole said the people of the state had another chance to demand a different political process and elect leaders capable of delivering good governance.
“Now we have an opportunity, and I come back to this – we have an opportunity in Rivers State, and I’m praying this time around that it will work,” he said.
He called on the people of Rivers State to use the opportunity to establish a new direction in governance and improve the process through which political leaders are elected.
“We have an opportunity in Rivers State to set a different type of governance, a different type of process in electing those who represent us in power. My prayer is that we do it right,” Cole said.
