Cole Appeals To Kalabari Guber Candidates To Back Him

With just a few days to the governorship election, candidates are putting in more efforts to win the race. Recently, the All Progressive Congress (APC) took her campaign to Degema Local Government Area and threw the area into a carnival mood.
In an interview with National Point, the leader of APC in Degema local government area, Dr. Sokonte Davies, said the carnival was organized to show that the people well received the governorship candidate, Pst. Tonye Cole.
“This is a full scale traditional reception of an important dignitary and no one can be more important than the governor of Rivers State, This is the highest honour you can give to anybody. You see the boat regatta and the way Tonye Cole is dressed in a victorious dress. When we went to Asari-Toru in Buguma he was in the war boat. That means he has fought the war and has conquered and in Abonnema we will crown him and we are lucky to have three local government areas.
“This 2023 election APC will win in Rivers State by the grace of God. We have gone round the state and you can see when the opponents came here and how they were received and how we are received. This shows the difference. This indicates that the people are ready for the election.”
Dr. Davies charged Rivers people not to vote any other party apart from APC in the forthcoming election.
The climax of the event was when Niger Delta freedom fighter, Mujahid Asari Dokubo, declared his total support for Cole. “I am not supporting Tonye Cole because he is a Kalabari man. There are more than one Kalabari candidates in this election. “I am supporting Tonye Patrick Cole because if we are being sincere with ourselves once Tonye Cole makes an appearance other candidates would have just left the stage.
Dokubo said he and his people were prepared to resist those who would want to use violence in the election. “We heard they are buying guns. They are using Rivers State money to buy guns. But we will resist them,” he said.
The state chairman of APC, Chief Emeka Beke, stressed the need for power to rotate for equity, fairness, justice and unity among the people of the state. “Ikwerre people have taken power for 16 years as governors of Rivers State. We want our brother from Kalabari to take over power in Rivers State. Let me use this medium to beg our brothers who are from Kalabari that want to become governor to wait.
“Tonye is the best among all of them. We need a man that will develop Rivers State. We need a man that will hear the cry of the poor, we need a man that will hear the cry of the less privileged that is why the APC family in Rivers State washed her eyes very clear and called on our brother who is in the private sector to come and salvage Rivers State.”
Chief Beke questioned the reason why Opobo would get the governorship slot before Kalabari. “If they are sharing this power, will Opobo man take power before the Kalabari? Now, the ball is in your court to decide,” Beke said, advising the people not to sell their votes; but that if they are given money they should collect and vote for APC.
In an emotion-laden speech, Cole told the mammoth crowd that when he started this journey, he was told that the Kalabari would never unite. “The Kalabari man will always play the spoiler for his fellow Kalabari person. This time around Kalabari must stand together, it’s our time.”
The APC guber candidate begged Dumo Lulu-Briggs of Accord party, Dawari George, Action Alliance (AA), Sobomabo Jackrich, National Rescue Movement (NRM) and Wenike Briggs of Young Progressives Party governorship candidates to stand by him to have a Kalabari governor.
“Tell my brother Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs that enough is enough. Alone we will win but together we will scatter them. APC alone will give them a fight. With Dumo by my side we will win. Beg my brother Dawari George, he is from my mother’s village Buguma, a true Kalabari son with Kalabari unity now not tomorrow. Please, beg your brother Soboma Jackrich. He lives around. You know him, I know him. We know each other tell him to come and stand with us. My younger brother, Wenike Briggs, my father and his father were very good friends. He has a heart for Kalabari. Engr. Wenike Briggs, come and stand by my side. Kalabari must make a statement. We are ready for power! Nobody will take it. But why do we want power? Yes, it’s our turn. But it is more than that. The Kalabari man knows what to do to lift everybody out of poverty and link access roads, build schools, hospitals, create jobs and our traditional rulers will be respected.”
The APC candidate assured that his party will win and nothing will take it from them.
Speaking to National Point on the sideline the House of Assembly candidate for Degema State constituency Hon. Ibim Dagogo Duke, said, “If I am elected, there are a lot to do. Remember a lot is left undone that is why our society is retrogressing. If elected we will look at what is on ground and reflect on our present reality but we shall really focus on health care, security, job creation, food security and environment. These I shall actually legislate on to make sure our society become a better place for all of us since the present government is not offering anything.”
The House of Assembly candidate took a swipe on the current legislators. “What we presently have at Moscow Road is rubber stamp assembly, the governor even tell them when to seat and what should be discussed.”
One his part, the APC leader in Bukuma and former caretaker committee chairman of Degema local government thanked the crowd that came out for the campaign with unity of purpose and the governorship candidate appealing to other governorship candidates from the Kalabari extraction is a welcome idea.
“If they have the same mind with Tonye Cole, they will succumb to his appeal,” he added, saying APC will win the election in Rivers State.
Party bigwigs at the rally included Hon. Asita O. Asita, the Rivers West Senatorial candidate, Hon. Kingsley Fubara Hart, Hon. Michael West the Director General Tonye/Cole Barikor governorship council.