Former Governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria ACN and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress APC in Rivers state, Prince Tonye Princewill has queried the purported unity of the party in the state, recalling how Worgu Boms, the candidate of Senator Magnus Abe refused to step down for Victor Giadom an ally of Transportation minister, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
Noting that there was no time for celebrations, he said the immediate focus is the 2023 general election as well as delivering Rivers to the APC.
He said; “First I just want to say a big thank you to the party for putting together a solid performance and showing Nigeria what political party leadership is about. Politics is not easy, but agreeing to disagree to then come to agreement, is hard work. It requires maturity, it requires patience and it requires mutual respect. I witnessed this in abundance. I could not have been more proud.
Bad news travels fast, so it was no surprise to me that leading up to it, all the news was about if the convention would hold, whether it would be free of rancour and how it would lead to the break up of the party. Now you have your answer. The ultimate test of the new electoral act, a balancing of all interests and an outcome that could not have been better.
“For those of us from Rivers state, we were especially pleased, not only because we saw South South unity in action, but because we were given the opportunity to demonstrate Rivers unity as well. While other states were able to achieve a consensus around a single candidate, Magnus Abe’s choice for National Vice Chairman South South, Worgu Boms, refused to step down for the South South endorsed choice of Victor Giadom and so for this position, we proceeded to an election where Boms was resoundingly bombed and beaten to a pulp, garnering only three votes from thousands. Where then is the faction in Rivers state?
“So it’s back to work for us. Time to focus on the presidency and on the governorship. I’m already back in PH. No time to celebrate. Consultation continues and my push for an Amaechi presidency has been further strengthened. That man understands politics, he understands governance and he understands Nigeria. I learnt a lot this weekend. So much. Always put God first”, he stated.
