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Tag: Tonye Cole

  • Supreme Court did not bar Rivers APC, says Senator Uchendu

    The Senator representing Rivers East Senatorial District, Andrew Uchendu, at the weekend said that the Supreme Court did not bar the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State from fielding candidates in the February 16th and March 2nd elections.

    He said that the APC has the right to field candidates in the elections despite last Friday’s ruling by the Supreme Court on a case brought before it by some members of the party.

    Uchendu insisted that contrary to some reports, the APC and its candidates in the State will participate in the elections as scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    He noted that what the Supreme Court ruled on was the issue of jurisdiction which in no way shut out APC and its candidates from the elections.

    The lawmaker said that taking into cognizance the rulings of the apex court in other cases, it is settled that the courts do not have any jurisdiction on the internal affairs or disputes within a political party.

    He stressed that the APC in Rivers State was not factionalised as is being painted by its detractors.

    He noted that members of the party have remained under one executive committee duly recognized by the national leadership of APC.

    According to him:  “The Supreme Court did not say our candidates for the forthcoming elections cannot participate in the elections.

    Read Also: BREAKING: Court acquits Ladoja of N4.7b fraud case

    “What I am saying is that the import of the Supreme Court judgement was on the issue of legal representation. Who is the legally appointed counsel of the APC in Rivers State at the trial court level?

    “The Supreme Court said it is the counsel that was briefed by the APC lawyer. That was the matter that was settled yesterday (Friday) and it has nothing to do with whether there is a faction in APC Rivers or not  and whether we should take part in the election or not.

    “One issue I want to clear is that Tonye Cole is not the only person that is affected by what is going on.

    “Nigerians don’t know that all the National Assembly, Gubernatorial and State House of Assembly candidates; about 49 of us are affected. So it’s a whole state.

    All the candidates of APC in Rivers State are affected and not just the gubernatorial candidates. We are all involved in the case and we are very hopeful that we will triumph at the end of the day.

    “We see the issue in court as dispute within the party. Ordinarily, we expected that the trial court should have upheld our case that it had no jurisdiction but it went ahead and heard the matter. The Court of Appeal upheld that and we are now at the Supreme Court.

    “I am very, very hopeful, the court being the last hope of the common man and particularly when the courts have severally said that courts have no jurisdiction on the internal disputes of political parties.”

    He said that in the course of the struggle for the soul of the party, Senator Magnus Abe, one of the contending forces, went to court to challenge the outcome of the ward congresses conducted by the party in the State.

    Uchendu accused Abe of allegedly hobnobbing with Governor Nyesom Wike and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to undermine the fortunes of the APC in the state.

    He said, “I sympathize with him (Abe) because history will be most unkind to him. They didn’t go for any congress from ward to state level.  They didn’t have any office.

    “But after the national convention of the party, they now sat down and drew up some names of ward executives, local government executives and then hired an office, an after-thought. Somebody must have advised them to go and do this just to create the impression that there is a faction.”

  • Tonye Cole: we’ll overcome temporary setback

    Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state, Tonye Cole has described Friday’s Supreme Court judgement upholding decision of the Lower Court on Rivers primary as only a temporary setback that will be overcome.

    In a statement by the spokesman of the Cole/Giadom Campaign Organisation, Ogbonna Nwuke, Cole expressed confidence that the APC in Rivers will triumph at the end of the day when the substantive suit is determined by the Apex court.

    The Supreme Court had on Friday upheld the ruling of the Court of Appeal and the High Court in Rivers State blocking the primaries conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.

    The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to reports which suggest that Ibrahim Umar & 22 others have secured a final determination at the Supreme Court.

    Read Also; ‘Tonye Cole should search his conscience’

    “The fact available to us is that the only issue determined today, Friday, 8th February, 2019 was that of legal representation, which had been in contention.

    “Based on the various conflicting headlines being carried, it is critical to state that there are other pending matters, including the substantive appeal, which is yet to be determined by the Supreme Court. Our faith in the judiciary remains unshaken.

    “We wish to urge our numerous supporters not to panic, following the deliberate misrepresentation of facts on the social media and elsewhere regarding the outcome of today’s judgement. We shall surely be triumphant in the end.”

  • Jubilation in Rivers over Appeal Court ruling

    ……as APC, Cole, campaign organisation say they’ve been vindicated

    There was jubilation Monday in Rivers State, especially in Port Harcourt and its environs, on the ruling of the Court of Appeal for stay of execution of the judgment of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt on fielding of candidates by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Shortly after the appellate court in Port Harcourt, presided over by Justice Ali Gumel, granted the stay of execution of the judgment of Justice Kolawole Omotoso of the Federal High Court in the Rivers state capital, members and supporters of APC and its governorship candidate, Pastor Tonye Cole, trooped to the streets of Port Harcourt and its environs to celebrate, defying the heavy rain.

    Rivers APC, through its Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, declared that the main opposition party had been vindicated by the decision of the Court of Appeal, which stayed the execution of the nullification of all primaries of the APC and also restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from fielding the candidates in the February 16 and March 2 elections.

    The main opposition APC in Rivers said: “We have always said that the wheel of justice may grind slowly, sometimes annoyingly slowly, but surely justice comes ultimately. We believe that Monday’s judgment has vindicated APC in Rivers State.

    “Now, anyone who has carefully and painstakingly followed our pending matter at the Supreme Court, especially during the last sitting before the apex court reserved ruling, will easily and safely conclude that our victory at the Supreme Court is only a matter of time.

    “The key issues of representation and jurisdiction, which Justice Chiwendu Nwogu (of Rivers State High Court, Port Harcourt) deliberately overlooked in tailoring his judgment to fit into a predetermined purpose, and yet bandy it as a consent judgment, will be completely deconstructed by the excellent legal minds on the Supreme Court bench. In this particular case, the end will justify our dogged efforts as we shall, once again, prevail by God’s grace.

    Read Also: Peterside Idah begs youths over Rivers state elections

    “All Rivers APC faithful should remain resolute, as we are set to recover all that Satan has battled so hard to take away from us. INEC, by today’s Appeal Court ruling, should by now be reinstating our candidates’ names on the ballot, in line with the status quo before the pronouncement by the Federal High Court of Justice Omotoso.”

    Cole, a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) and a co-founder of Sahara Group, in his reaction to the ruling, expressed gratitude to God on the victory.

    Governorship candidate of APC in Rivers said: “I just want to take a minute to thank the Almighty God for his grace upon us all. I know without Him, this would be totally impossible. We were up against it. We still are, but our God who has been with us throughout this journey, will see us to the end.

  • ‘Tonye Cole should search his conscience’

    RIVERS State has faulted claims by All Progressives Party (APC) candidate Tonye Cole that his companies took appropriate channels in buying public assets sold to him by the previous administration headed by his friend and business partner.

    Commissioner for Information and Communication Emma Okah said the claim was belated because the State Executive Council, which approved implementation of the White Paper, was not a court and could not carry out judicial functions.

    He said: “At the level of implementation of the recommendations of the judicial commission of enquiry accepted through the White Paper, the duty of the exco is to obey the law and implement the stipulations as contained in the White Paper and nothing more. The courts are open to anyone who feels otherwise.

    “The Rivers State government is under obligation to protect the people’s interest, and does not owe Cole or his companies any apology if a judicial commission finds that they acted improperly, especially where rules were compromised to make one man acquire highly valued state assets, like the four power stations, Olympia Hotel in old GRA and Abonemma Wharf.”

    The government, at its last executive council meeting, approved the implementation of the White Paper on the sale of highly valued state assets by the previous administration. The White Paper contained recommendations of the report by the Justice George Omereji-led Judicial Commission of Enquiry, which were accepted by the State Executive Council and now overdue for implementation.

    But Cole has said he was not a business partner of Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, as alleged by Governor Nyesom Wike and his allies in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Cole reiterated that despite the court cases and calls that he should be replaced, he would vie for the governorship in 2019 and win.

    He hinted that he had met with Senator Magnus Abe (Rivers Southeast), a governorship aspirant on APC’s platform, and his allies, especially those who went to court, saying he would continue to reach out to them on the need to work together.

    He said: “From the minute I stepped into the governorship race, many people asked if I was okay or maybe I was crazy, and they wanted to know how I would cope in the violent place, considering the level of violence in Rivers State. Most people outside Rivers State feel this is a violent environment, and I had to think deep, but I have always known that you can either increase violence by your demeanour and what you say, or you can reduce it; it is a choice.

    “If one person is speaking and pumping violence and the other decides to tone it down, essentially what you are going to get is the toning down of violence. Direction is from the top. Leadership is also about your demeanour. How you show your strength is not by total use of force; everybody has a potential to be violent, but you have a choice to make and you know that lives are on the line. So, what choice do you make?

    “I made a choice from the first day I joined the governorship race that my language would not be that of violence. I knew that if I started with violence, they will increase it. I have not spoken the language of violence and everybody can attest to it.

    Cole urged the people to preach politics of peace and ensure that the elections are violence-free.

  • Wike, Tonye Cole in face-off…as Rivers govt terminates APC chieftain’s firm’s contract

    RIVERS State governor, Nyesom Wike, and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in the state, Pastor Tonye Cole, yesterday engaged in brickbats  over  the state government’s  termination of the sale of the stateowned power plants to subsidiaries of Sahara Energy Limited  co-founded Cole. Wike,  through the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah, yesterday in Port Harcourt, announced the termination by the Rivers government of the sale of the state-owned power plants to subsidiaries of Sahara Energy Limited. The commissioner, while briefing reporters at the end of the meeting, said: “The Rivers State government has approved the termination of the share sale contract for the sale  of 70 per cent equity of the state government-owned power generation assets held by First Independent Power Limited in Omoku, Afam, Trans-Amadi and Eleme Gas Turbines to NG PowerHPS Limited.

    “The Rivers State government also terminated the concession of the Rivers and Bayelsa States’ owned Olympia Hotel (in old Government Reservation Area, near Government House, Port Harcourt) to Cenpropsaroten Hotel Management Limited. “The Rivers State government further terminated the concession agreement between the government of Rivers State and Kild Concession Limited, in respect of the construction of a toll road and secondary developments in Abonnema Wharf, Port Harcourt. “The three companies that had their contracts/concessions  terminated are subsidiaries of Sahara Energy Limited, used by the immediate past Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, to acquire state assets.”

    Okah also stated that the Rivers government arrived at the resolutions, in line with the yet-to-be-implemented  recommendations of the white paper on the report of the judicial commission of inquiry on the investigation of the administration of Amaechi,  on the sale  of valued assets of Rivers State and other related matters, under the chairmanship of Justice George Omereji. Cole, a billionaire businessman, who is a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), in his reaction, however, declared that Wike is frustrated and playing vindictive politics. The Rivers governorship candidate of the APC, who spoke through the Director, Strategic Communications of his campaign organisation, Prince Tonye Princewill, said: “This may be a surprise to some, but not me.

    This is the vindictive nature of the politics we play today and the reason why many who can salvage our analog politics stay away. “We have said it before that politics is too important to be left to politicians. So, the Tonye Coles of this world should have no fear. The old way is going and the old style politicians know it. My surprise is it took this long. “I can only imagine that now Wike knows that Tonye Cole will be confirmed as his opponent, he can no longer hide his frustration. What he fails to appreciate is that no serious businessman will want to do business with Rivers State. All this from a state with the highest level of unemployment in Nigeria and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) untapped. Yet we wonder why insecurity remains.”

  • Rivers 2019: Wike declares war against Tonye Cole’s firm

     

    • He’s playing vindictive politics – APC gov candidate

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has declared war against Sahara Group, the company co-founded by Rivers governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Pastor Tonye Cole.

    Wike, through Commissioner for Information and Communications, Emma Okah, on Friday in Port Harcourt, announced termination of the sale of the state-owned power plants to subsidiaries of Sahara Energy Limited.

    Cole, a billionaire businessman, who is a Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) declared Wike a frustrated governor playing vindictive politics.

    The Rivers APC governorship candidate, who spoke through the Director, Strategic Communications of his campaign organisation, Prince Tonye Princewill, said:  “This is the vindictive nature of the politics we play today and the reason why many who can salvage our analog politics stay away.

    “We have said it before that politics is too important to be left to politicians.

    “So, the Tonye Coles of this world should have no fear. The old way is going and the old style politicians know it. My surprise is it took this long.

    “I can only imagine Wike knows that Tonye Cole will be confirmed as his opponent, he can no longer hide his frustration. “What he fails to appreciate is that no serious businessman will want to do business with Rivers State.”

    Okah stated the decisions and actions were part of the resolutions at Friday’s State Executive Council meeting, presided over by Wike at the Government House, Port- Harcourt.

    He told reporters at the end of the meeting: “The Rivers State government has approved the termination of the share sale contract for the sale of 70 per cent equity of the state government-owned power generation assets held by First Independent Power Limited in Omoku, Afam, Trans-Amadi and Eleme Gas Turbines to NG Power-HPS Limited.

    “The Rivers State government also terminated the concession of the Rivers and Bayelsa States’ owned Olympia Hotel (in old Government Reservation Area, near Government House, Port Harcourt) to Cenpropsaroten Hotel Management Limited.

    “The Rivers State government further terminated the concession agreement between the Government of Rivers State and Kild Concession Limited, in respect of the construction of a toll road and secondary developments in Abonnema Wharf, Port Harcourt.

    “The three companies that had their contracts/concessions terminated are subsidiaries of Sahara Energy Limited, used by the immediate past Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, to acquire state assets.”

    Okah also stated that the Rivers government arrived at the resolutions, in line with the yet-to-be implemented recommendations of the white paper on the report of the judicial commission of inquiry on the investigation of the administration of Amaechi, now Transportation Minister, on the sale of valued assets of Rivers state and other related matters under the chairmanship of Justice George Omereji.

    Information commissioner added the government directed the Attorney-General to take further steps as contained in the white paper.

     

  •  Tonye Cole to supporters: remain calm over litigations

    Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State Pastor Tonye Cole on Thursday urged his teeming supporters to remain calm over litigations against his bid.

    Speaking in Port-Harcourt through the spokesperson of his campaign organisation, Ogbonna Nwuke, Cole expressed optimism of getting justice in court despite the “little” setback.

    The co-founder of Sahara Group said: “We advise members of the public to remain calm while justice is sought. We need peace, built on equity and justice and we are in the right place to find it.

    “Let us ignore cheap propaganda and falsehood. Irresponsible talks about thugs and our Director-General, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, invading the Supreme Court is fake news from desperate minds.

    “Tonye Cole and his campaign organisation are a symbol of peace. No amount of provocative behaviour will divert us from this path.”

    The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned hearing in a matter brought before it by H.A  Bello, the counsel for Ibrahim Umar and 22 others, who are loyalists of Senator Magnus Abe (Rivers Southeast), seeking to nullify the congresses in Rivers state.

    The justices of the apex court stated that they would hear the matter on January 21, 2019, an outcome that the Tonye Cole campaign organisation said it was pleased about.

    It noted efforts were made to delve into the competence of appeal number 198, which was not before the justices but took the intervention of an unnamed justice of the Supreme Court to stop the proceedings.

    It was gathered that the justices mildly reminded the Supreme Court that he was not a member of the panel set to hear appeal number 198.

    The appeal, which was earlier adjourned till March 8 next year, was relisted for hearing on Thursday, following an application by Bello.

    But all efforts to delve into other issues not connected to the matter on the court’s list were truncated.

    It was also gathered that one of the justices of the apex court drew the attention of the presiding justice to the fact he was not a member of the panel, which left the justice with only one option of adjourning till January 21, 2019 to hear the application for abridgement of time.

     

     

  • Appeal court upholds nullification of Rivers APC congresses

     

    A special Appeal panel sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Wednesday struck out the three appeal suits by factional chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state, Ojukaye Flag Amachree, on the October 10, 2018 judgement of a state High court over the outcome of the party’s congresses held last May.

    Twenty-three aggrieved members of the party, who protested their exclusion from the party’s ward, local government and state congresses ahead of the party’s national congress held same May in Abuja, had approached the court to stop the perceived illegal exercise from taking place in the state.

    The aggrieved persons, who allegedly purchased forms to contest for various position at the state but claimed to have been illegally excluded filed the suit  under the name, Ibrahim Umar and 22 others verses the APC.

    At the originating summon, the plaintiffs were granted their prayers as the High Court presided over by Justice Chinwendu Nwogu issued an order of injunction stopping the conduct of the congresses.

    But the APC ignored the order and conducted the exercise, which later produced Amachree and others as the incumbent state party executives.

    Amachree and others later conducted the September 31, 2018 state primary elections, which produced Arc. Tonye Dele Cole as its flag bearer.

    However, the state High court in a judgement on October 10, on Ibrahim Umar and 23 others against APC voided the congresses that produced Amachree and all outcomes of the primary elections, including the election of Cole on the grounds of disobedience to the court order.

    Amachree appealed the judgment and the Appeal court nullified the judgment.

    Ibrahim Umar and 22 others moved to the Supreme Court, which voided the Appeal court decision and asked for a repeat.

    In the process several other suits were filed before Appeal on the same suits.

    The party, Umar and others requested for a special panel to hear the retrial and the President of the Appeal court constituted a three-man panel chaired by Justice Yahaya, which struck out the suit on Wednesday.

    Yayaha said the appeal lacked competence in its entirety hence the dismissal.

    He said the appeal against the Justice Chinwendu Nwogu High Court judgement on the party congress crisis lacks merit, adding that the application for joinder failed to observe the 14- day rules of Appeal.

    On the substantive suit, the Judge said the ruling on the substantive appeal that bordered on Justice Nwogu’s judgement that the Ojukaye faction failed to seek leave of court before appealing against the judgement.

    He ruled that the judgement delivered at the Lower Court was a consent judgement, adding the Ojukaye’s faction should have done the needful legally before approaching the court.

    He said: “This matter is between one party. What is going to happen when it is between separate parties?

    “In politics, we are brothers, same house and we are throwing stones on each other. Please let’s reconcile and settle this,” he advised.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • INEC displays Tonye Cole, Uzodinma as Rivers, Imo APC governorship candidates

    •APC candidates’ names missing as commission displays list in Zamfara

    •Adelabu, Akala, Makinde make list in Oyo

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday started displaying the lists of cleared candidates of different political parties for next year’s elections. The candidates’ lists are being displayed at state offices of INEC. So far, the lists of candidates from the positions of governor to state houses of assembly are on display. The states that their lists are out include: Lagos, Zamfara, Kwara, Imo, Rivers, Oyo and Abia states.   In Rivers State INEC Office, the names and photographs of governorship candidates, their deputies and political parties are on display.

    While Governor Nyesom Wike and his current deputy, Dr. Ipalibo Banigo-Happy, maintained the list for the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP),  Engr. Tonye Cole and Sir Victor Giadon made the list for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The Supreme Court in Abuja penultimate week nullified the ward, local government and state congresses that brought about the leadership of Amachree as APC state chairman.

    Cole’s details with those of  his running mate, Victor Giadom, were pasted at the Rivers INEC office in Port Harcourt, among candidates representing other political parties.

    The commission equally pasted other nominees of  Amaechi’s APC faction for other elective offices in the coming elections when visited the commission’s Port Harcourt office.

    Sen. Abe could not be reached for reactions at the time of filing the report yesterday evening, but it was learnt that his spokesman and media aide in the state, Parry Benson, said: “There is nothing really for us to say. It is a matter for the APC national body.”

    In Kwara State, the governorship candidates of PDP, APC and 30 other candidates from other political parties made the INEC  list for the governorship poll.

    The APC has Abdulrahman Abdulrasak,  PDP submitted Razak Atunwa, while Labour Party has Comrade Issa Aremu. The three female governorship candidates are Muibi Muibat Aduke of the APA, Deaconess Comfort Yinka of the UPP and Rukayat Toyin Tijani of the MPN.

    INEC Director, Voter Education, Jacob Ayanda, said that the political parties have the opportunity to change or replace names on or before December 1, this year.

    In Imo State,  there was an initial drama when the  first INEC list came out with the name of the governorship candidate of the APC conspicuously missing. However, a few hours later, the name of Senator Hope Uzodinma was displayed as the candidate of the APC. The display of Uzodinma’s name was said to have been based on the directive from  the  National head

     

  • Tonye Cole appoints Lloyd as campaign chief

    A former Majority Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, has been appointed the director-general of Tonye Cole Campaign Organisation, ahead of the 2019 governorship election.

    Lloyd, PhD Law, from Emohua Local Government, will coordinate the campaigns of Cole and his running mate, Chief Victor Giadom, of All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The appointment was confirmed yesterday in a telephone interview by Rivers APC Publicity Secretary Chris Finebone.

    Governor Nyesom Wike sued Lloyd over the crisis in the Seventh Rivers Assembly, when attempts were made by five lawmakers to impeach then Speaker Otelemaba Dan Amachree, But the ex-Law teacher at Rivers State University (RSU), Port Harcourt declared that he remained innocent of the allegation and he would never be intimidated, while remaining focused to ensure victory for APC and its candidates during next year’s polls.