Rivers State: Princewill tells Wike: Quit now

Rivers State: Princewill tells Wike: Quit now

Thursday, December 17, 2015 9:28 am


Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Princewill: Wike did not heed my advice

Princewill: Wike did not heed my advice

Prince Tonye Princewill,the Governorship candidate of Labour Party in Rivers State  said the nullification of Governor Nyesom Wike by Court of Appeal was inevitable and that the governor had failed to heed his counsel to accept the verdict of the election tribunal.

Princewill said he warned Wike not to appeal the tribunal’s nullification of his mandate because he would fail as the election that brought him to power was not free and fair .

‘ Ordinarily I would not bother to comment on news that is not only inevitable but in progress. We still have to wait for the Supreme Court. Wike refused to accept my advice at the tribunal stage and still went ahead to appeal the judgement. It is therefore reasonable to assume he will maintain the same stubborn stance and delay the inevitable yet again. It is, after all, his prerogative.

The Labour Party Governorship candidate  challenged Wike;”Anyone who is truly confident of his popularity should not be afraid to face the electorate. PDP has a lot of supporters. But everyday they drag this process out, they may lose more and more and more. Forget the arrogance of politicians, nobody knows what the outcome of an election will be, but everyone with a conscience knows that the one we had in 2015 was neither free nor fair nor credible. It can’t stand scrutiny,  as we have now seen.”

On the the conduct of future elections in Rivers, he said “it is worth noting the supremacy of the card reader as now contained in this judgement and the way elections in Kogi and Bayelsa went. We still have lessons to learn. ”

Princewill said his main concern remains security because both “APC and the PDP have shown desperation and an unmitigated desire for power at all costs. The recent black and white march charades can not conceal the blood they both spilled. People are not foolish.

On his future in politics, the Labour party governorship candidate said he “As for the decision on what I do as the Labour Party candidate, this is not a choice strictly for me alone to make. My ambition is not the priority, the ambition of the state is. So far I have followed spiritual guidance and it has given me peace. This time will be no different.”

He said he is not desperate to be Governor but will sponsor every Labour Party candidate who shows a real desire to contest their rerun. And issue a statement on his election when a vacancy arises,that if the apex court affirms nullification of Wike”s election”.

Princewill said as a politician  he would rather focus on adding value to society, like  people giving  back to their  alma mater because everybody does not have to  be in Government to make a difference.

For instance he said, “We in the class of 85 converged from near and far to make a difference and I am so proud we did.

“Commissioning a new entrance to the school, building a world class monument in front of the admin building, delivering 16 new state of the art girls toilets, 10 new water taps and 300 desks and teacher’s tables is totally unprecedented and has demonstrated the sheet effectiveness of team work. Maybe our politicians can borrow a leaf from that.


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