Wike berates Amaechi, Tonye-Cole, Abe after their loss to PDP

By Musa Baba Adamu

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has criticised the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Patrick Tonye-Cole for losing to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Siminalayi Fubara.
Wike said Tonye-Cole never ran any effective political campaign and was relying on the former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi to make him governor.
He said Tonye-Cole and Amaechi caused a split in the party, which led to their inability to face the PDP in the last election.
Wike averred that Amaechi’s comment on compensation for Igbo over their abandoned properties during the civil war further angered the people against him and his candidate.
Wike said: “The APC gubernatorial candidate, Tonye-Cole, lost in his Ward and local government area. He lost in almost all electoral units, wards and local government areas of the state.
“Tonye-Cole never ran any effective political campaign. His party was fractured beyond redemption. He was literally waiting for his godfather and business partner, Rotimi Amaechi to magically make him governor.
“Rotimi Amaechi also lost to the PDP in his community, Ubima, his ward and the local government area.”
The Rivers State governor also took a swipe at the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Magnus Abe, who he mocked for his ambition to be named as a governorship candidate of any party after he was twice denied the ticket in APC.
He further accused Abe of allegedly obtaining fake election tags with the help of Lebara Ndu, described as INEC’s Director of Security.
Wike, in his commentary, said: “The electoral fate of the SDP candidate, Senator Magnus Abe, was not better either. He lost woefully in 15 out of 17 wards in his native Gokana Local Government Area. He lost in all 23 local governments of the state. His party did not win a single state constituency.
“Magnus’s ambition was to have a chance to be named on the ballot as a gubernatorial candidate of any party, having twice been denied the APC by his former friend, political leader and associate, Rotimi Amaechi.”