Tonye Cole Warns Rivers State Political Feud Has Set Development Back 20 Years
Former APC governorship candidate Tonye Cole stated that the ongoing political feud in Rivers State has hampered progress, setting the state back roughly 20 years.
He said the prolonged dispute has deepened divisions and called for a broad‑based effort to rebuild the state beyond party lines.
Cole revealed he has been reaching out to political actors and stakeholders from all camps to address grievances and foster unity.
Quoting Cole: “I am one of those who have reached out across the board to different people, telling them that we have fought a fight that has left Rivers State further back 20 years than we have ever been in our entire history as a state.”
He added that now is the time for everyone to come together to build a new Rivers State.
Cole stressed that rebuilding must involve competent individuals from all parties, not be dominated by a single group, and that the state’s interests should outweigh political differences.
He emphasized cross‑party cooperation: “We have to do that across party lines. We don’t care whether you are PDP, APC, ADC or NDC. What we care about now is that Rivers State seeks the best from everywhere, brings them together, and forges a master plan that moves us forward.”
He argued that political division and confrontation have failed to deliver meaningful development, noting that the state has tried fighting and it has not worked.
Cole said efforts are underway to bring aggrieved parties together and secure a shared commitment to the state’s progress.
“So we are reaching out to all aggrieved parties, and we are bringing everybody together to say, you know what? Can we agree that we now need to move Rivers State forward?” he said.
He warned that failure to reconcile the different political camps could plunge Rivers into another damaging round of conflict.
Cole concluded: “The only way to do that is to bring the best from all the camps and let us put ourselves together so that we can deliver a new Rivers State. That is how we build this new state. If not, we’re going into another very bitter division, which will not progress us.”
