Billionaire businessman and oil
magnate, Tonye Dele Cole has emerged as the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi
Amaechi’s preferred candidate for the Rivers State Governorship election in
2019 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Amaechi broke the news to leaders
of the party at a brief meeting held in Lagos before travelling to China, ahead
of President Muhammadu Buhari’s trip this weekend.
Amaechi picked Tonye Cole, ahead
of other aspirants including: Senator Magnus Abe, Chief Dumo-Lulu Briggs,
Director-General of NIMASA, Dakuku Peterside and former Senior Special Adviser
to President Goodluck Jonathan, Bekingbo Dagogo-Jack.
Those at
the meeting include; Senator Andrew Uchendu, newly-defected Senator Osi Ideozor,
former Executive Director of NDDC, Henry Ogiri, NIMASA DG, Dakuku Peterside and
Prince Tonye Princewill.
Others are: Chief Dumo
Lulu-Briggs, former Commissioner for Transport in Rivers state, George
Tolofari, Sekonte Davies, Azubike Wanjoku among others.
An impeccable source at the
meeting said the Rivers APC leaders were shocked as Amaechi named Cole.
He quoted the Minister as saying
the businessman was picked for a “neutral purpose.”
A transcribed script of Amaechi’s
speech obtained by DAILY POST quotes the Minister as saying, “We are aware that
not all would find it easy to accept the decision but I am also conscious that
the decision was made for the best interests of the party and the group. We are
aware that interests are divergent and numerous. And that they can only
coalesce if we get someone neutral; someone who is able to get every interests
to converge as one.
“What is critical is victory.
Loyalty is not only when it favours you but when you are tempted and stretched
to your limits. Ventilate we must, but to move ahead we also must as the
battles ahead are numerous and tedious.
“You all urged me on to proceed
to make a decision and swore to stand by that decision. The time has therefore
come to be together. God bless all of us,” Amaechi said.
But the source, who pleaded
anonymity, said there was silence after Amaechi’s speech until the Senator
representing Rivers East Senatorial District, Senator Andrew Uchendu, expressed
marvel at the announcement.
Senator Uchendu was quoted as
saying, “I am not sure any of us here has Tonye Cole’s telephone number much
more meeting him in person. So, Your Excellency, how would we market him?”.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives
Congress and its leaders in Rivers state are yet to react to the development in
Lagos.
Tonye Dele Cole is the
CEO/Executive Director, Sahara Group and was once a ministerial nominee
alongside Nyesom Wike by Amaechi in 2012 where former President Goodluck
Jonathan picked Wike who was then appointed Minister of State for Education.
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