Rivers ADC Candidate Steps down for Tonye Cole of APC

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The governorship candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Rivers State, Tonte Ibraye and his deputy, Tonto Dike have stepped  down for Tonye Cole, the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state.

This development is coming less than 48 hours to the Governorship and House of Assembly election of March 18, 2023.

Speaking during an event in Port Harcourt, Ibraye said they decided to go into the alliance with the APC because of the belief that Cole is the most qualified amongst all the governorship candidates.

He called on other governorship candidates of the Kalabari extraction, especially Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs of the Accord Party and Dawari George of the Action Alliance (AA) to support the APC governorship candidate for victory on Saturday.

The ADC governorship candidate said: “Architect Tonye Cole, most of you have seen his curriculum vitae. He is not contesting for governor because he does not have a job and wants to take advantage of the people of Rivers State to use their resources. No!

“Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs is there. A lot of Kalabari people have called on his to queue behind Tonye Cole. Dawari George is there. So many other persons are there.

“I want to us we this opportunity to  on them to as quickly as possible because time is running out, to queue behind the moving train so that the entire Rivers State will benefit.

“We are not talking about a Kalabari governorship; we are not talking about just Ijaw governorship; we are talking about a governor that will serve the entire people of Rivers State without preference.”

Responding,  Cole said the alliance was at the instance of the ADC governorship and deputy governorship candidates, pointing out that there were no financial commitment to the agreement.