Gladys Nweke
Former Labour Party Governorship Candidate in Rivers state, Tonye Princewill, has said he attacked the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, prior to the 2015 election based on unverified reports.
Princewill said he attacked the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Dakuku Peterside, based on the unverifiable reports at his possession that Amaechi sold assets belonging to Rivers state.
He said the actions were regrettable, especially after the Nigerian Senate found nothing indicting in the said report.
Tonye Princewill who revealed this in an interview with Theportcitynews.com recently in PortHarcourt, said he decided to swallow his pride and return to Amaechi because current Governor, Nyesom Wike does not deserve to be Governor of Rivers State.
The two-time Governorship candidate expressed disappointment with former President, Goodluck Jonathan, for allowing Wike emerge Governor through blackmail and violence.
According to him, We were in opposing camps and the information was brought to my attention. It appeared credible. Was I to stay mute? No. I went public.
“But if the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria saw nothing and Wike himself set up a panel and couldn’t indict Amaechi, who am I? Forget the EFCC and the ICPC, people will say they are biased.
“What about the other two bodies? I have since marked out my source as unreliable and tendered Amaechi an unreserved apology. He also said a few things about me. But we have since buried the hatchet. Our division is what Wike and all those who can’t see the big picture, will want to exploit. It can’t work. For the sake of Wike’s removal and the progress of our state, we are a team.
“The next move was in 2015 when Wike and the Jonathans treated other aspirants in PDP like dirt. Telling us to our face that we can damn the consequences, that Wike will be the imposed PDP candidate whether we like it or not. Some took the view that no matter the humiliation they will stay with the party. Not me. I am a team player, but you have to respect me and my people or I will not be a part of that team.
“That is why I moved to the Labour Party, secured the ticket for Governor and showed Nigerians what governance could have been. Again no apologies there.
“After the sham elections, I decided to lay low and focus on other things instead of spewing hate and bitterness. It was God’s will. I was not happy with Amaechi and APC for where we had landed as a state, neither was I comfortable with Wike’s path to the Brick House. But I decide to leave everything in His hands.
“Two years then passed and it soon became very clear that this Wike’s government as presently constituted was not only dangerous to our very survival as a state, it was leading us unchallenged to a big precipice.
“APC members were being killed and the official opposition to Wike was asleep. It was then I asked myself, get involved or do nothing. Which one? I decided to get involved.
“Wike, you attained Governor through violence, deceit and wickedness and you have maintained it so far by doing same. It’s no longer an option. I promise you, that the mouth you used to insult the Amanyanabo of Kalabari is the same mouth you will use to apologize to him.
“Power has gone to your head, but it will consume you. You may have forgotten that power is transient. We will soon be reminding you. Some of us have decided to drop our pride and work with people we refused to work with, prior to now just for you. Your ability to unite us will be your Achilles heel.
“All politics is local,” he said.
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