The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, has reacted to Governor Nyesom Wike’s rumoured support for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The rumour flying around is that the Rivers State Governor has instructed civil servants and members of his party in the state to throw their weight behind Tinubu, presidential flag bearer of the APC..
Appearing on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Thursday, Cole was asked if he was aware of the Governor’s declaration of support for Bola Tinubu.
The business mogul explained that he was only aware of Wike’s instruction to members of his party and local government chairmen not to support the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and also not to allow the APC in the state hold their rallies.
“It’s a small community. Politics is a small family and we know each other very well. So one of the things we’ve heard is that he has given instructions to local government chairmen to prevent the APC from holding any rallies, to disrupt all our rallies.
“Local Government chairmen are under threat that they would be disciplined if they allow us to hold any form of rallies as we’ve heard.
“We’ve also heard that they have given strict instructions that they must not support Atiku in any way. Now whether they’ve given instruction that they must support Tinubu, that we’ve not heard. But I know the fact that they’re not supporting Atiku.
“They’re not supporting us (APC Rivers State). They said that we must be totally disrupted. But I’ve not heard them yet saying that they’re supporting Bola Ahmed Tinubu, my presidential candidate.
“Wike had said that he would make an announcement on the 31st of January about who he is supporting but we waited for that announcement but it didn’t come.
“But he did say that all members of his potential party will know who he is supporting so maybe the rumours might be true. Maybe he has told them.but I haven’t heard.”