Rivers LG Poll: Rivers setting very dangerous precedent for democracy – Cole

By Jude Opara

The 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, has criticized the planned conduct of local government elections in the state scheduled for August 30.
Speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show yesterday and monitored in Abuja, Cole said holding elections during a “state of emergency” under a Sole Administrator reflects everything wrong with Nigeria’s democracy.
Cole argued that if democratic structures in the state have been suspended for any reason, they should remain suspended until proper conditions are restored, insisting that conducting elections under such circumstances is unacceptable.
“I personally feel that having that election in the time of a state of emergency, under a Sole Administrator, I think it just says everything wrong about democracy.
“If you have suspended all the democratic institutions, then let’s know we have suspended them for whatever reason.
“You cannot be having elections under that cover. So, I don’t think that is right, even the perception of it is wrong.”
Cole further alleged that the planned local government elections appear to be a political plot to capture the local government structures.
He warned that Rivers State is setting a very dangerous precedent for democracy in Nigeria.
“The question then is that, Sim did an election, which he seemed to rush. The idea was that, let’s capture the local government.
“All of that was reversed, and then we’re doing exactly the same thing now. So, the question is, what are we trying to capture and for whom is this being captured?
“So, it just sends the wrong signal and that’s why I’m against it. I don’t think it’s right. If we want to do democracy, let’s do democracy properly.
“But where there’s this sense of impunity where you can do anything any how and nobody can talk. I don’t think that’s right.
“And I think Rivers State is setting a very dangerous precedence for democracy”, he added.