The race is on to see who will replace Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike. Still, Tonye Patrick-Cole, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, has been disqualified yet again by a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt for alleged dual citizenship and non-compliance with the Electoral Act by his party.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State had filed a lawsuit, asking the court to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognise Patrick-Cole as the APC governorship candidate due to his alleged dual citizenship. The PDP also claimed that the APC delegates’ election that gave Cole the party ticket did not follow due process. Justice Emmanuel Obile agreed with the PDP’s suit, adding that INEC did not monitor the APC primary that brought in Cole.
Patrick-Cole, the APC gubernatorial candidate for Rivers State, was kind enough to tell us more about the controversy. He stated that the race is far from over and that his dual citizenship is not an issue in Nigeria.
When asked about the G5 Governors’ decision to form the Integrity Group, he stated that it is a huge blessing for the APC because it has caused a deep divide in the PDP and that the APC intends to capitalise on it.
The PDP, Nigeria’s main opposition party, has been embroiled in crises since the party’s national convention in May 2022 when former Vice President Atiku Abubakar defeated 12 other presidential aspirants, including Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, to become the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 elections. Wike now leads a group of five PDP governors (G5) who are demanding that the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, be replaced with a southerner to correct the party’s “regional imbalance” because Messrs Atiku and Ayu are both northerners.
Tonye Cole also addressed the statement that he is being forced upon the people of Rivers State by the former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, and whether it affects his chances or not.
Tonye did not shy away from discussing other issues in Rivers State, particularly infrastructure. Watch the entire interview with Olive Emodi and Osarogie below.
