By Our Reporter
The All Progressives Congress , APC and the Peoples’ Democratic Party,PDP, may not participate in the forthcoming gubernatorial elections in Rivers State.
The APC is enmeshed in an ego battle between Rt.Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Senator Magnus Abe that led to its exclusion in the 2019 gubernatorial election. This protracted ego battle is festered by the recent schism in the camp of Rt. Hon. Amaechi with the foisting of an unpopular aspirant on the Party. The imposition of one Arc. Tonye Cole on the party in the State has not gone down well with most people who believe that Mr Cole is not just an outsider ,but quite unpopular and arrogant and as such not capable of winning even a local government chairmanship election in Rivers State.
Moreso, people are also scared that the fate that befell the APC in Bayelsa State in the last gubernatorial election may befall the APC in Rivers State.
Arc Tonye Cole is said to have a questionable NYSC certificate. While in 2019 he presented only his School Certificate for fear of disqualification should he present his degree certificates since he never did his compulsory one year service, the sudden presentation of a letter from the NYSC affirming that he served and his discharge certificate is missing is suspicious. The said letter was issued in 2018. Questioning the veracity of the letter, one would wonder why a letter issued in 2018 was not tendered for the 2019 guber elections!
Furthermore, the letter is a proof that Mr Cole graduated under the age of thirty -thus making it compulsory for him to embark on NYSC. Therefore, even if he presents just his school certificate,it is perjury because he deposed to an affidavit to that effect. And so, even if he wins the primaries and the elections, the courts will serve him the Bayelsa treatment.
Another problem the Party is likely to face is anti- party activities. Many who are not pleased with the imposition of Cole have sworn to work against the party in the general elections.
The PDP is not left out. Granting the prayers of Hon. Farah Dagogo, a federal high court has restrained the PDP from participating in the forthcoming guber elections in Rivers State pending the determination of the suit brought before it by Hon. Dagogo who was arrested,detained and charged to court by the Rivers Staate Governor, Nyesom Wike on trumped up charges.
Hon. Dagogo was arrested on the day he presented himself for screening at the party’s zonal office in portharcourt.
The die is cast and it is hoped that the politicians will play their kind of politics and play themselves out of the game.