Address Calls for Restructuring or Face Doom in 2019, Princewill Warns APC

Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Prince Tonye Princewill, has warned the party to address calls for restructuring of the country or be prepared to face the wrath of the people in the 2019 elections.

He insisted that the failure of the party to reasonably address the issue of restructuring would affect its outcome during the general election.

Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, Princewill, noted that while the Presidency and the National Assembly might have taken measures that could be construed to be restructuring, those measures were not far-reaching enough to assuage the feelings of the people.

He said the people could turn against the APC-led federal government during the 2019 general election to show their dissatisfaction.

He said: “The executive order recently issued by the Acting President and the manoeuvres by the National Assembly can be described as part of restructuring. Also, the introduction of Treasury Single Account is part of restructuring.

“I think that if the APC-led federal government does not address restructuring in a reasonable manner, it will affect the party in the next general election. What will save the party is to restructure the country and improve on its future.”

Princewill, who was governorship candidate of Labour Party in the 2015 general election in the state, said he defected into the APC to strengthen the party and not to actualise any governorship ambition.

His words: “I didn’t come into politics to make money; I came into politics to spend money. I moved into the APC not because of my love for the party but my love for Rivers State. The state needs a stronger opposition and joining APC will strengthen the party.

“When I joined APC, the first thing I did was to drop my ambition. I came into APC because I want the party to be strong. The reality of it is that ambition is now secondary.

“My priority is how to move Rivers State forward. It doesn’t matter if it is with PDP but I doubt if the party can. My job is either to correct Governor Nyesom Wike or to remove him.

“Only somebody without principle will stay in a party without principle. If you are truly a man of principle, you will not remain in a political party without principles.”