The decision of the Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi and some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, to adopt oil magnate, Tonye Cole, as the party’s consensus governorship candidate is unsettling the party
Barely 24 hours after the decision described as “unpopular”, was taken in Abuja, stakeholders and loyalists of other aspirants vying for the position were said to have vented their anger at Amaechi, the state leader of the party.
It was gathered that Amaechi constituted a committee of 19 elders of the party and the group after its meeting on Friday attended by Amaechi selected Cole out of 10 other aspirants.
Speaking on how Cole emerged, Senator Andrew Uchendu, who was a member of the committee, said: “Last night, our Leader, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, set up a committee of elders of about 19 members to meet immediately and decide on the governorship candidate of our party.
“We all met for about two hours and unanimously chose Tonye Cole. The committee immediately communicated this choice to our leader.
“I was a member of that committee and therefore invite all of you as party faithful to accept this decision and communicate same to all our members. It is in our overall interest to do so”.
But most of the aspirants and stakeholders, who felt that Cole lacked popularity, spread and structures, were not happy that Amaechi took the decision without consulting them.
The aggrieved aspirants were of the view that Amaechi should have allowed them to conclude their consultations and decide themselves on consensus.
Some of them were said to have decided to test their popularity at the primary election regardless of Amaechi’ s decision.
“The only advantage Cole has is his financial war chest. But he is known to be stingy,” one of the aggrieved party members, who spoke in confidence, said. The Nation
