Abe Frustrating Peace Efforts in Rivers APC, Cole Alleges

Segun James

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Mr. Tonye Cole, has said that despite all entreaties, his rival for the party’s ticket, Senator Magnus Abe, has frustrated all efforts to amicably settle the crisis rocking the party.

Cole said he has sat down with Abe over the issue, but regretted that the senator has refused to listen to reasons, a situation that may cost the party the governorship ticket if not resolved in time.

Speaking yesterday on The Morning Show on Arise News, Cole insisted that he is the candidate that is recognised by both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the party at the national level, saying that they must be ready to move forward because “we can no longer substitute candidates now. It is a position that can’t change any more. I am the candidate and I am ready to work together with Abe. We must work for the state.”

He said he was not new in politics as being bandied by Abe, saying that business and politics are almost synonymous.

He said contrary to impression being created by Abe, every disenfranchised member of the party were later allowed to take part in the process, stressing that there has been distractions in the move towards the election.

Cole added that he is more focused at the working towards creating opportunities for the over 2.7 million youths in the state.

According to him, “without peace there will be no development, without development there will be no peace, without peace there will be no jobs and without job, the state will be in anarchy.”

Cole admitted that his company, Sahara Energy has suffered the brunt of his foray into politics, adding that the consequence is mounting.

“It is not about my company. It is about the people of Rivers State. About the poor people who are suffering the poverty. One of the things I had to do when I took this decision was to resign from Sahara and it was made public. I left completely. Since then, I hardly speak to them. We have a governance process; we are an international company. So, we know exactly what to do and it was very clear that I had to remove myself completely, and I did.”

He said the decision by the Rivers State Government to revoke contracts belonging to his company is unnecessary as it should have been directed at him personally instead of an organisation that is employing over 4,000 workers.

“I think it was a wrong decision” for the government to have revoked the contracts.

But he said the company will have to take decision on the next step to take, adding that right now he has nothing to do with Sahara but concentrating on his activities as a politician.