THIS TRADE-OFF & CONSPIRACY AGAINST AMAECHI MUST NOT STAND.

 THIS TRADE-OFF & CONSPIRACY AGAINST AMAECHI MUST NOT STAND.

Last Saturday, we woke up to a shocking  and depressing news about the decision for Arc. Tonye Cole to again fly the Rivers APC flag for the 2023 Governorship elections by  the famous 19 elders and leaders of the Party.

Although this decision by the 19 elders was immediately greeted with outright condemnation by majority of party men and women from various quarters however, some of the elders quickly took to their social media platforms to call on party members to accept its decision citing party supremacy as their only reason and nothing more.

While we are yet to digest this monumental shocker and unpopular decision capable of mortgaging our political destinies, different worrisome narratives of what actually transpired on the said meeting have surfaced in addition to the press statement released by the Publicity Secretary of the Party, Senibo Chris Finebone.

According to the Publicity Secretary's press release and the discordant narratives by some of the elders who took part in the meeting, it is crystal clear that the said decision was done behind our leader and front line Presidential aspirant, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and without the interest of the Party at heart.

Our findings indicate that the decision to allow Arc. Tonye Cole fly the Party's flag for the Governorship elections is at best a trade-off with the interest of the 19 elders adequately protected and guaranteed.  With majority of the 19 elders who took the unpopular decision who themselves being aspirants to the National Assembly hoping to emerge as the Party's candidates, the choice of Tonye Cole was clearly a quid pro quo and done  only in the interest of the elders not the Party or its teeming supporters who are mostly youth. This is akin to making one a judge in his own case.

Here was the idea. Since majority of the elders were candidates of different positions to the National Assembly in 2019 and are seeking to be retained in that regard in 2023, they quickly came up with the idea of "first refusal" for the Governorship slot knowing that same would be applied to other positions of which they were interested parties if adopted, making them the direct beneficiaries of that principle, thereby, blatantly trading-off our collective interest for theirs not minding the over seven years of hunger and sufferings ordinary party members have endured.

The impetus to give us an unpopular candidate as a way of securing their own National Assembly tickets is strengthened by the knowledge that both the Presidential and National Assembly elections holds same day which affords them the opportunity to ride on the popularity of the Presidential candidate to win their own elections, leaving us to suffer a fate they have already determined for us with a less acceptable governorship candidate. 

Recall in 2019, the Tonye Cole candidacy met massive disapproval from Party supporters across boards for several reasons. In fact, many described it as a 'botched experiment.' Soon after the 2019 election, Arc. Tonye Cole fled the political scene and indeed, the shores of Nigeria, leaving the Party and its young supporters to rue their losses. Fast forward to 2022, Tonye Cole appears from the blues in the build up to another election year and us handed the Party's Gubernatorial flag without building bridges and solidifying relationship with party faithfuls at all levels since 2019 till date. What happened to the sacrifices of other aspirants who stayed back to support and keep the party afloat?

We insist that taking an unpopular decision and hanging it on an innocent man who was not at the meeting is obviously a grand conspiracy which must be reversed. We therefore, call on our amiable leader, Rt. Hon.  Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who is known to be a good listener, to heed the cry of our youths whose only crime in Rivers state is following him ardently and save our political futures which has clearly been jeopardized by the decision of the 19 elders of the Party.

Some of the elders who compromised our collective interest for their personal interest by securing their previously held positions are

1. Chief Andrew Uchendu - Returns to Senate, RIVERS EAST.

2. Amb. Oji Ngofa - Senate, RIVERS SOUTH EAST

3. Hon. Honourable Asita - Senate, RIVERS WEST

4.Chief Victor Giadom- Deputy Governor

5. Hon. Chikordi Dike - House of Representatives OBALGA

6.Hon. Collyns Owhonda - House of Reps. PHALGA 2

7. George Tolofari - House of Reps BONNY/DEGEMA

8. Dame Maureen Tamuno -  House of Reps. OKIRIKA/OGU BOLO

From the grapevine we learned that a  couple of days to the said meeting some of these leaders received at least One Million Naira each from Arc. Tonye Cole under the guise of reaching out to all the 23 LGA leaders whereas we have it on good authority that the gesture did not get to all 23 LGA leaders but was targeted mostly at those who would be part of the 19 elders to decide the fate of thousands of party faithfuls who have now been rendered hopeless.

 If this is not a conspiracy then what is it?

We are of the strong view that a decision in the magnitude of a consensus Governorship candidate should be done in a most transparent and inclusive manner that allows the entire leadership collegiate of the Party which includes elders, 23 LGA leaders and Party Chairmen as well as all the Governorship Aspirants to get involved and give the Party a candidate with the steel, charisma and popularity to win elections in Rivers State.

Signed:

Concerned Rivers APC Youth

26/04/2022