Politics
Tonye Cole: Rivers APC Gov Candidate Denies Withdrawing Petition Against PDP
Tonye Cole, the APC candidate for governor in Rivers State, has refuted media reports that he withdrew his plea from the State Election Petitions Tribunal hearing cases in Abuja.
In the state’s March 18, 2023 governorship election, Siminalaye Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was declared the victor by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), but Cole is contesting that result.
The APC governorship candidate reassured his fans and party members in the state in a brief video message that the petition remained “sure and steadfast” on Monday night.
Tonye Cole vowed to pursue the case to a successful conclusion and stated that he was exerting all of his efforts to make sure that his voice and the voices of his supporters were heard.
He declared that he would not give up on the petition despite efforts to do so until justice was served.
The APC governorship candidate reassured his fans and party members in the state in a brief video message that the petition remained “sure and steadfast” on Monday night.
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Cole promised to pursue the matter to a successful conclusion and stated that he was working assiduously to make sure that his voice and the voices of his supporters were heard.
In spite of efforts to defeat the petition, he declared that he would not give up on it until there was justice.
The APC governorship candidate said: “I wish to formally denounce the false rumours that have been circulating regarding our petition against the results from the Rivers State governorship election. I want to assure you that our petition remains firm and steadfast, and we will not waiver in our pursuit of justice.
“Despite attempts to undermine our efforts, I want to emphasise that we are working tirelessly to ensure that our voices are heard. We remain undeterred and resolute in our efforts to fight for what is right until justice is served.”
Meanwhile, the APC Campaign Council in Rivers State has clarified that it was the national leadership of the party and not the state chapter that withdrew from the matter before the Tribunal.
Spokesman of the campaign council, Sogbeye Eli, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, said the withdrawal followed the refusal of the local chapter of the party to accept Henry A. Bello as the party’s counsel.
The statement reads in part: “The stories making the rounds since last night of the withdrawal of the petition by Architect Tonye Patrick Cole, 2023 governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, by Sahara Reporters and other mainstream media houses refers.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the true and factual position of the status of that petition are as follows: Tonye Cole as the 1st Petitioner on record is still before the Court.
“The All Progressives Congress as the 2nd Petitioner on record withdrew yesterday through her legal representative, Solomon Umoh, Esq.
“The withdrawal of the 2nd Petitioner yesterday follows the objection by the local Chapter of the party to being led at the Tribunal by Henry A. Bello, Esq of Counsel.
“The facts forming the grounds for the aforementioned objection bother on trust and are not unconnected with the concomitant effect of the decision of the High Court of Rivers State in the case of Ibrahim Umah & Ors v. APC in 2018 on the party’s fortunes at the 2019 general elections.”
