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Tag: Prince Tonye Princewill

  • ‘INEC was unfair to Rivers State’

    Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and spokesman for the Tony Cole Campaign Organisation Prince Tonye Princewill spoke with reporters in Lagos on the outcome of the general elections and the future of the party in the Southsouth state. Excerpts:

    What is your reaction to the outcome of the Rivers State governorship election?

    What has happened teaches me a lot of things. Some Nigerians do not care enough about our corruption. At least, not enough to call a spade a spade when they see it. We all know what transpired, even if we don’t know the details. Yet, we put it down to how things are, in Nigeria, in Rivers State. Many Nigerians do not care about how you win, as long as you win. You can kill and maim your way to power and it won’t matter to them, they will gladly shake the bloodstained hands of the winner and bow down in loyalty. Our moral compasses have so ossified to the point where winning is more important than how you win. The outrage over what led to INEC’s declaration is shared by many, but not enough. Some of us have elected to do something about it. All it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing isn’t a cliche for us.

    Your party, the APC, did not participate. But, it adopted the AAC candidate. The result shows Wike winning the combined forces of the APC and AAC with over 700,000 votes. What is your reaction?

    There is no correlation between that result and Rivers people. Unless it is in the minds of the ignorant or the complicit. If like some, you believe that the end justifies the means, it is convenient to disregard how that result was arrived at. But those who know better aren’t fooled. You say 700,000 votes, yet you ignore that one LGA, Wike’s own accounts for over 300,000 votes unchallenged after he stormed its collation center where a soldier was shot, yet another was injured critically by a machete and AAC agents taken hostage while electoral materials where carted away. An LGA where such occurred really had no business being accepted by INEC. But it was. Hook, line and with 300,000 votes. The list of high crimes by INEC and PDP continued across the other LGAs, but the APC Government let it be. If we the people had them taken matters into our own hands, people would have died and the neutral observer would have said we in Rivers state are savages. But they forget that you can only push a man so far. I don’t blame Wike, it’s his nature. I blame his accomplices. Wike already has what is coming to him, but they too must answer to this show of shame. They cannot escape it. Never.

    This election was held on March 9 and it took 24 days to fully collate and announce the result. Is that normal?

    Thank you for that question. It isn’t normal. And yet some expect a normal result to emerge from such an abnormal process? Like I said earlier, our moral compasses have been so redacted to the point where we can not call a spade what it is. INEC suspended a whole election in an entire state against the provisions of an electoral act and it stood. Our cries were dismissed and our voices ignored. Nobody listened. Amaechi is one man. If PDP and internal saboteurs cannot forgive him, should the entire state be made to suffer? Do our elders and youths have to be subjected to a Wike administration for another four years because of your hate for Amaechi? What did he do to you? What did we do to you? Every life in Rivers state is valuable and we will not rest until they are given the opportunity to realize their full potential. Some of the people lining up to stab Amaechi today were the beneficiaries of his good heart yesterday. In some cases, he even saved their lives!! Disagree, even deny him any advantage if you like, but don’t forget tomorrow, even if you have forgotten yesterday. Why demonize him constantly even when he is silent? What use is it to you to kick a man when others are kicking him too and why take out your pound of flesh from the backs of innocent Rivers people? Amaechi will forgive you. But Rivers people won’t.

    You raise several objections like that the result should have been announced within 21 days, that INEC kept result shhets in its custody rather than with the CBN. What difference does this make?

    The simple answer to your question is our objections made no difference because they interrupted the agenda that was in play. There is a reason why elections are covered by guidelines and transparency is the currency which INEC has to protect. In the Rivers state matter, they exhibited an arrogance of the highest order and made no concessions in our favour. None. The blatant disregard they showed is why we cannot let this matter rest. In a very short statement I issued after they declared Wike, I said they have murdered sleep and asked us to go to hell. We have heard them. They too will hear us soon.

    You issued a statement after the return of Wike that the election will not stand the test of time. How, what will you do?

    We have several options before us and each option will be scrutinised to the full. If this isn’t countered, it will become the norm. By our traditionally low standards, 2019 in Rivers state was a very new low. Therefore there must be consequences. You can ignore a small party and maybe get away with it, but not the APC. My saying after the selection and declaration was “Fiat justitia ruat caelum” and I stand by it. Rivers state deserves better than such an organized oppression. We are way too big for that.

    You have severally accused Senator Magnus Abe, who was factional governorship candidate of APC of fraternizing with Wike. How did he do that?

    Let me quickly correct you. Abe was an aspirant, not a candidate. And the APC only recognized Tonye Cole as its candidate. So the use of the term factional candidate is like calling someone a factional parent. It won’t fly. I’m not going to discuss Abe at length except to say that when the baby is not your own, it’s death does not affect you. We saw it in the Bible when Solomon confronted the two women over the ownership of the child. We know those who are happy about this hollow victory and we know those who avoided bloodshed to allow it pass. The real owners of Rivers state are in tears. The real friends of Rivers state are sad. The real lovers of Rivers state are in mourning, while those without a stake or conscience are either indifferent or at peace. Let every man take his position. The time to be held accountable will definitely come.

  • APC rejects suspension of electoral processes in Rivers

    The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Rivers state, Tonye Cole has said that the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to suspend the announcement of election results in Rivers State was illegal and aimed to give Gov. Nyelson Wike a soft landing, saying the decision was not covered by the nation’s laws.

    Director, Strategic Communication of the Tonye Cole campaign Organisation, Prince Tonye Princewill wondered why the commission failed to deal with areas where violence was reported, but choose to with hold the result of the entire state when the governorship candidate of the AAC and all others backed by the APC were cruising to victory.

    Princewill said the suspension of the announcement of election results in the state will stop the dethronement of the Wike as the Governor of the state.

    A statement signed by Princewill and made available to The Nation in Abuja reads: “INEC’s decision is illegal because it is not supported by law. Section 26 of the Electoral Act cited in the INEC Press Release is not even applicable because that section deals with a situation where a date has been appointed for the holding of an election, and there is reason to believe that a serious breach of the peace is likely to occur if the election is proceeded with on that date or it is impossible to conduct the election as a result of natural disasters or other emergencies, then the commission may postpone the election.

    “You can see that this provision does not apply to a situation where an election has already been conducted or held, which is the present position in Rivers State.

    “Since the elections in Rivers State have been held Saturday, INEC is bound by virtue of section 27 of the Electoral Act to announce the results. Having admitted in paragraph one of the Press Release that it has conducted elections on the 9th of March in Rivers State, INEC must by virtue of section 27 of the Electoral Act, announce the results.

    “INEC’s decision to postpone the already held elections is ultra vires, illegal and unconstitutional. Such an unlawful decision can now be challenged in court by virtue of section 26 subsection 5 of the Electoral Act. The challenge can be launched by any of the many contestants at a court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction and on such a legal challenge, the decision of INEC shall also be suspended until the matter is determined.

    “Our concerns about INEC and our lack of faith in the REC are continually validated. This was same way they suspended a by election we held a few months ago when it was clear we were winning. Now, the AAC candidate and several house of assembly candidates supported by APC are cruising to victory and they do it again.

    “Can they not just step out of the way and let the will of Rivers’ people prevail?

    Rivers state was largely peaceful. Why not deal with areas where you say you have violence and leave the other results to go through? It’s common sense. Why suspend a whole state? Wike will go. It’s only a matter of time. We always knew this. Now the world knows it too. Not even INEC can save him.”

  • No elections in Rivers without our candidates, APC vows

    The All Progressives Congress Governorship campaign organisation in Rivers state has declared there will be no elections if its candidates are not listed in the ballot in compliance with a Court of Appeal ruling for stay of execution.

    The organisation also accused the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, of working with Governor Nyesom Wike to frustrate the party in the state.

    Director of Strategic Communication in the Tonye Princewill Campaign Organisation, in a statement, said they have taken to be fairly relisted on the ballot papers, including the contempt of court proceedings served on INEC.

    He vowed if they continue to treat APC in Rivers state with disdain, the election will still not hold.

    “Even though the postponement of the elections did not come to me as a total surprise, I was still expecting the INEC Chairman to stubbornly push on and try to force through the elections regardless. I still see disaster come Saturday.

    READ MORE: Breaking: Supreme Court dismisses APC’s appeal on Rivers election

    “Unless we’re on the ballot, the election won’t be smooth anywhere. The God of Rivers state wants justice and He will get it. We have not even had so much as an explanation from INEC.”

    He said that the INEC Chairman who was once a subordinate to Wike when the Governor was supervising Minister of Education under Jonathan may have skeletons in his TETFUND years that Wike can expose.

    “I had continued to maintain that Wike had since penetrated the judiciary, our security agencies and civil society with our money.

    “Now it appears that the electoral umpire too is no longer immune to the Wike virus too.

    “All dealing with him do need to be made aware, your temporary high will eventually be replaced by very permanent lows.

    “I’ve seen people vomiting ill-gotten wealth to then return it to the treasury. I’ve seen men and women lose their jobs for Wike.

    “It’s not a very pleasant sight. We have two appeal court orders and one Supreme Court judgement in our favour.

    “But if you listen to the Wike paid media, you will think that we lost.”

    ”

  • Nigerian civil war film, ’76 premiered in London

    Nigerian civil war film, ’76 premiered in London

    Forty years after the assassination of the then Head of State, Gen. Murtala Muhammed, a film titled, ’76 inspired by that dark episode made history today when it was announced as the first Nigerian film to have its European premiere at the prestigious BFI London Film Festival in October.

    The film is a love story embedded in treason, intrigue, patriotism and faith is set in Ibadan, Oyo State, against the backdrop of transition and the struggle for political stability in 1976 and is inspired by real life events that led to the assassination of the General.

    76 the multi-million dollar landmark Nigerian cinematic production, already scheduled to make a global opening at the 41st Toronto International Film Festival later this month has now also been exclusively chosen to have its European premiere at the prestigious BFI London Film Festival. This is the first Nollywood film, the third largest film industry in the world to be chosen by both Toronto and London film festivals back-to-back and is a new milestone in African cinema.

    The film, cast and crew have received a major boost with a high profile endorsement from the Head of State who succeeded the assassinated Murtala Muhammed at the time; His Excellency General Olusegun Obasanjo (rtd.), then later went on to become a two-term President. He described ’76 as “the best view of one of the worst times in our nation’s history. A must watch and an insight that was long overdue. Watching the attention to detail and hearing my own voice in February 1976, brought out both sweet and sour memories as Murtala Muhammed was not only my boss, he was my friend. I cannot attest to what went on in the homes as we were focused on the field, but this film gives even I, an insight into that.”

    Film 76Set during the era of military assassinations and political unrest in Nigeria, the movie also had the full approval and endorsement of the Nigerian Army and the Murtala Muhammed family, and was shot inside the confines of a military base, another first in Nigeria’s cinematic history.  It comes 40 years after the actual events, and follows four years of work by the multi award winning Director Izu Ojukwu and the production teams of Adonis Production and Princewill’s Trust, a brainchild of Prince Tonye Princewill and the Executive Producer Adonijah Owiriwa who are the film’s executive producers.

    “Our objective was to show audiences, amongst other things, what the wives of officers had to go through. Military coups were our legacy. In some ways, we are still trying to recover from this. Everyone sees and hears the perspective of the officers. But the woman’s story stays silent. We wanted to highlight the strength and the vulnerabilities of
    the typical African woman through the eyes of officers’ wives. This is a filmmaker’s small contribution to raising their volume.” Owiriwa stated.

    The film stars renowned and respected Nollywood megastars Rita Dominic, Ramsey Nouah, Chidi Mokeme, Ibinabo Fiberesinma, Memry Savanhu, Daniel K Daniel (African best actor 2016), Debo Oguns and Adams Shuaibu and a
    host of other rising stars. At the centre of this very gripping romantic thriller is the charismatic, ‘Captain Joseph Dewa’, played by Ramsey Nouah who is indicted by the military for his alleged role in the coup.

    The film will have its red carpet London premiere on the 15th of October and will be attended by all the key cast, crew and special guests. It will then have its African premiere in Lagos on the 11th of November before being released nationwide in cinemas from November the 25th.